Shafi Ullah
MINGORA / MARDAN / CHILAS: Protests against the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan continued for the second day in the entire Swat division including Mingora city on Wednesday. PTI workers blocked the roads by burning tires in Nishat Chowk of Mingora City.
Addressing the protest in Nishat Chowk, speakers said that Imran Khan has been arrested in an illegal case and a plan has been prepared to kill him. The protest sit-in will continue until the release of Imran Khan, they added. On the other hand,
Section 144 has been imposed across the district, and a ban on public gatherings has been executed. Educational institutions have also been closed till May 13 by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while matriculation exams have also been postponed till Saturday. Roads were also closed in Charbagh, Khawaza Khela, and other places, including Mingora city, while Swat Motorway and Malakand Tunnel are still closed.
On Tuesday, Swat Motorway Toll Plaza was set on fire and as a result of firing and clash, one PTI worker was killed and 13 were injured. According to the local journalists of Malakand district, protest demonstrations are being conducted by PTI at various places due to which the central and important highways have been blocked.
Former MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Fazal Hakeem says that we will hold a protest until the release of Imran Khan, we respect the constitution and the law, so the security agencies should also cooperate with us. He said that until Imran Khan is released, we will continue to protest in the same way. Kalam Highway has also been blocked by PTI workers in Bahrain. Sources say that a large number of workers were present throughout the division.
PTI protest becomes violent by demolishing statues in Mardan: Violent protests against the arrest of Imran Khan were carried out by protestors, blocking important squares and intersections, looting, storming the military cantonment, demolishing the statues of soldiers in front of the PRC Gate, setting fire to the boarding, putting down traffic signals and cameras, pelting stones at the police in reply police shilling and lathi charge to disperse the protest.
According to the details, thousands of angry stick-carrying workers blocked College Chowk, Malakand Chowk, Nehar Chowk, PRC Chowk and other important squares and intersections against the arrest of Imran Khan in Mardan. They attacked the Punjab Regiment Center, along with heavy stone pelting at the closed gate of PRC, they destroyed the decorative statues of the Pak Army in front of the gate, and destroyed the glass and shutters of some shops and the traffic signals and surveillance cameras in the squares and intersections.
The angry workers blocked the traffic in the city and pelted stones at the police, while the police used tear gas and shelling to disperse the angry protesters. While shouting slogans, Deputy Commissioner Abdur Rehman imposed section 144 and imposed curfew on the gathering of more than five people in the city.
PTI blocks Karakoram Highway: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on Wednesday blocked the Karakoram highway to register their protest against the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Al Qadir Trust case.
Enraged PTI protestors reached Karakoram highway in Upper Kohistan, Chilas and observed a sit-in, suspending the traffic. The protestors chanted slogans against the federal government and vowed to continue their sit-in until the release of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) termed the arrest of former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan ‘legal.’ The court also issued contempt court notices to Interior Secretary and IG Islamabad for ‘vandalism’ on the premises of the court. The plea challenging Imran Khan’s arrest was taken up by Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Aamer Farooq in which the director general (DG) National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the prosecutor general appeared.
