PESHAWAR: About 2,500 riot police had been deployed at all important locations in Peshawar while the Pakistan Army troops were in the backup to handle the situation in the provincial capital as activists of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah continued blockade of the main route here on Sunday.

Senior superintendent of police (operations) Sajjad Khan said that the security plan for dealing with the current situation arising out of the Faizabad sit-in at the junction of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and subsequent developments had been issued and the police had been deployed.

”The overall situation is under control. Processions from various areas are allowed to protest until protesters remain peaceful and don’t involve in posing danger to the life and property of citizens and the state,” said the SSP in a statement issued to the media. He said that protesters had set up their camp at Jamil Chowk on the Ring Road and traffic had been diverted to other routes.

However, motorists bore the brunt of the blockade on Ring Road where the protest camp and ongoing construction activities of Bus Rapid Transit project brought the traffic to a standstill. There was a gridlock on the GT Road, Kohat Road and other small routes inside the city. The protest camp was set up on Sunday.

SSP Sajjad said that alternate traffic arrangements had been made and traffic on Khyber Road was slightly slow, but it remained opened.

Meanwhile, Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan will remain closed on Monday, said a statement issued from the office of the deputy registrar. It said that the decision had been taken in the wake of prevailing law and order situation in the country.

In DI Khan, activists of religious parties staged a rally in Paharipur area to protest the police’s action in Faizabad, Rawalpindi. A shutter down would be observed from 9:00am to 12:00pm on Monday (today).

In Haripur, the activists of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah and workers of different religious parties continued their sit-in for the second consecutive day here on Sunday.

The workers of Pakistan Falah Party, Tehreek-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek and Pakistan Awami Tehreek had started their sit-in on Saturday morning following the action by police and FC against the participants of Faizabad sit-in.

The protesters blocked the GT Road for about an hour forcing the administration to divert the traffic to link roads. The city roads also witnessed traffic mess at several points following the protest. However after negotiations between the leaders of protesters and additional deputy commissioner Saiful Islam, they cleared the GT Road and went to the place near the main bazaar where they had started their protest.

The protesters chanted slogans against the PM-N government and demanded resignation of the federal cabinet.

Meanwhile, in view of the prevailing law and order situation in the country, the University of Haripur will remain closed on Monday (today), says a text message sent to all the students from the UoH Registrar on Sunday.

In Mansehra, traders and transporters expressing solidarity with the protesters assembled in Faizabad announced to observe a complete shutdown and wheel-jam strike on Wednesday.

“We have decided to observe a complete shutdown and wheel-jam strike to record our protest against the crackdown on protesters in Faizabad, Rawalpindi,” Mohammad Shoaib, the president of central traders’ body, told mediapersons after a meeting attended by representatives of traders and transporters on Sunday. He said that a rally to express solidarity with the Faizabad protesters would be taken out on Monday (today).

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2017