ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced on Friday that the Tehreek-i-Labbaik party chief Saad Rizvi, who is under police custody at the moment, and the government officials are having a word to call off the ongoing protest.
March to Islamabad
The banned political outfit Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has started to march towards Islamabad on Friday to register its protest against the government.
The workers of the proscribed party were forced to spend the night at the GT Road and recommenced their march in the morning. Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had warned the protests categorically that if they did not turn back, they would have to face the consequences.
The process is heading towards Wazirabad and is said to have stopped for the Friday prayers. The Punjab Government has stationed police personnel and the Rangers to stop the marchers from proceeding towards Islamabad.
Increased security in Rawalpindi
The law enforcement agencies have blocked all the entry and exit points of Rawalpindi, fearing that the TLP protest might aggravate the poor law and order situation in the city.
Arrests
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted on Friday morning about 32 arrests that were made on Thursday night. He said that all the suspects were involved in running a hate campaign against fake social media posts.
رات ایک اہم کاروائی میں کالعدم جماعت سے تعلق رکھنے والے 32 اراکین کو گرفتار کیا گیا ہے یہ لوگ جعلی سوشل میڈیا اکاؤنٹس کے ذریعے نفرت انگیز پرپیگنڈا کر رہے تھے اور جعلی خبروں اور پروپیگنڈے کیخلاف بڑا ایکشن شروع کر دیا گیا ہے جلد ہی مزید گرفتاریاں ہوں گی
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) October 29, 2021
The Punjab Government has, time and again, asked the protesters to refrain from marching towards the capital. The law enforcement agencies’ personnel and TLP workers have lost their lives in the protest so far, with many injured.