Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s ‘Labbaik Ya Aqsa’ march will move towards Islamabad on Saturday after stopping in the Shahdara area of Lahore on Friday night
The entry routes to Islamabad, GT Road and Motorway are closed at many places, internet service is suspended, important roads are closed, and reaching the federal capital from Lahore, Peshawar, and Dera Ismail Khan has become almost impossible
Staff reporters, correspondents,Daily Dawn, Dawn TV report
Lahore/Islamabad: The ‘Labbaik Ya Aqsa’ march of religious political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is moving towards Islamabad on Saturday after stopping in Shahdara area of Lahore on Friday night; however, the administration in the federal capital is on alert, and the city’s entry and exit routes have been closed by installing containers.
TLP chief Saad Rizvi had called for a ‘Labaik Ya Aqsa’ march from Lahore to Islamabad on Friday (October 10) against the Israeli attacks on Gaza, but the police and administration surrounded the TLP headquarters, Masjid Rehmatul Alameen, on the night of October 8, installed containers and arrested several workers.
However, the TLP leadership decided to leave Lahore as scheduled instead of postponing the march. The situation in the city remained tense on Friday as well, and there were fierce clashes between TLP workers and the police.
Accusing the police of ‘direct fire’, the TLP said that a dozen of its workers lost their lives while over 100 were injured, while several police personnel were also shifted to the hospital with injuries.
Due to the police crackdown, the TLP leadership indicated that they would reach Islamabad and march to the US Embassy at all costs yesterday; however, the authorities have said that no one will be allowed to provoke. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement on Friday night that “no group or group will be allowed to attack Islamabad or any city.”
In Lahore, the city administration blocked roads at several places by installing containers, but TLP workers opened the roads themselves. When the roads were completely blocked, ordinary citizens faced severe difficulties.
The administration has also closed all roads leading to Islamabad. The GT Road near the Jhelum Bridge has been dug up and closed, and containers have also been installed on the Jhelum Bridge.
According to motorway officials, the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, Multan-Lahore Motorway, Multan-Islamabad Motorway, Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and the Lahore-Islamabad GT Road are also closed for traffic.
On the other hand, security is also on high alert in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and containers have been placed on the internal and external routes of Islamabad, including Faizabad, and the roads have been blocked, due to which citizens are facing transportation difficulties.
The TLP convoy is moving from Lahore to Islamabad on Saturday under the leadership of the party’s Ameer Hafiz Saad Rizvi. A case was also registered against Saad Rizvi and other TLP leaders and workers under various sections, including terrorism, attempt to murder and interference in the government after clashes with the police at Yatim Khana Chowk yesterday.
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