Tehreek-e-Labeek Pakistan's honor rally turns into sit-in
The Tehreek-e-Labeek-e-Pakistan (TLP) on Sunday staged a rally from Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi to Faizabad against the publication of sketches of the Prophet of Islam in France, which was attended by thousands of people. The rally reached Faizabad Bridge on Sunday night where its participants staged a sit-in.
This is the same place where the party has staged sit-ins in 2017 and again in 2018 and in the past it ended the sit-in after an agreement with the government.
Party chief Khadim Rizvi did not attend the rally and has not yet arrived at the sit-in. Tehreek-e-Lubaik spokesman Qari Zubair said that although Tehreek-e-Lubaik's Amir Khadim Hussain Rizvi was not present at the sit-in, his instructions were clear that he would not end his protest until his demand was met.
He said no government representative had yet come to him for talks.
Clashes also broke out between police and protesters during the rally and sit-in, with dozens reportedly injured. The injured include both TLP workers and policemen.
Local police claimed that the protesters not only vandalized shops on Murree Road but also pelted stones at the policemen present there. Rawalpindi police also claimed to have arrested more than 200 protesters.
Rallies and sit-ins increase the hardships of the citizens
Due to the sit-in in Faizabad, road closures have increased the hardships of the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Due to the sit-in, the Islamabad Highway has been closed at Khanna Bridge, while other routes connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad have also been cordoned off or closed with containers.
All roads leading to the sit-in site are also closed, while the Islamabad administration has released details of alternative routes for traffic.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat has mentioned about alternative routes in a tweet and also said that the district administration is trying to clear these routes.
An Islamabad police spokesman said the red zone had been completely sealed off and roads leading to the diplomatic enclave in particular had been closed. He said that besides police, Rangers personnel have also been deployed in the area.
While a large number of children could not go to school due to road closures on Monday, people working in other important private and government offices, including the Pak Secretariat, were also unable to go to work.
Mobile phone service was suspended in most parts of Rawalpindi, Islamabad since Sunday morning, which was partially restored on Monday. Both mobile phone and internet services are suspended at the sit-in, while internet service in the twin cities is generally affected.
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