PTI protests: Interior ministry grills KP, Punjab govt for failing to clear roads

ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab governments to take immediate steps for clearing roads after the ongoing protests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The interior ministry sent letters to the KP and Punjab government, urging to take immediate steps for clearing the closed roads due to the PTI protests.

The ministry asked the provincial governments to fulfil their constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order.

Expressing outrage at the closure of arterial roads, the ministry stated that the provincial authorities failed to play their constitutional role after failing to disperse the protestors.

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It added that the Constitution permits independent public movement. The ministry directed the provinces to intervene in the matter and reopen the roads for all kinds of traffic.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers continued their protests in different parts of the country following the assassination attempt on the party chief Imran Khan.

In Rawalpindi, PTI workers continued their sit-ins on 12 localities including Murree Road, Shamsabad, Old Airport Road, Gulzar Quaid, IGP Road, Rawat GT Road, Taxila GT Road, Margala Chowk, Fateh Chowk and other areas.

The protesting PTI workers are being led by Ghulam Sarwar, Wasiq Qayyum, Aamir Kiyani, Raja Basharat and Fayyazul Hassan Chohan.

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Following the protest in Rawalpindi, educational institutions have been closed for two days.

In a late-night development, Federal Police in an official communique sought permission from federal secretary of interior to clear M-1 and M-2 on Motorway to ensure restoration of traffic for VVIPs from and towards Islamabad International Airport.

It maintained that ‘unpleasant incident’ at the airport can bring disgrace to the country, urging the federal administration to issue instructions to the Chief Secretary of Punjab and Police Chief as per the Constitution.

“The capital police should be given permission with full authority to clear the roads”, the letter stated, adding that all provinces should be given instructions to give access to three major toll plazas.

Moreover, Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi ordered the deployment of Rangers inside and outside the Punjab Governor House in the wake of protests being staged by PTI.