LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists on Monday protested outside and attempted tried to break into a hotel hosting opposition members.
According to reports, Opposition members of the Punjab Assembly and dissident PTI members are staying at a hotel in Gulberg ahead of the election for Chief Minister Punjab which has been mired in controversy. A crucial session of the Punjab Assembly has been deferred till April 6.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the conscience of the legislators in Punjab is being bought and he has asked party workers to stage a peaceful protest in Lahore.
PTI workers rallied outside the hotel and protested over the presence of party turncoats. Traffic was severely disrupted as they chanted slogans and sang party songs outside. Some enraged activists also attempted to break in the hotel and remove a barrier before police thwarted their plans.
A large contingent of police has been deployed outside the hotel. At one point the situation became tense PML-N MPAs attempted to provoke the protestors. Police stopped the protestors and erected iron barriers.
The joint meeting of the opposition parliamentary parties was held at the same hotel and disgruntled leader Aleem Khan was present. The meeting will be chaired by Chief Ministerial candidate Hamza Shehbaz who hosted an Iftar dinner in honour of the members.
A day earlier, the PTI held protests in various parts of Punjab to express solidarity with Prime Minister Imran against the interference of foreign powers and party turncoats.
A protest was held outside the Lahore Press Club led by PTI Lahore president Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood who raised slogans against ‘foreign powers’ for allegedly destabilising the government. Protests were also taken out at Lahore, Attock, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Khushab, Mianwali, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Sargodha and Sheikupura. A large number of PTI workers came out on the roads and raised slogans.
While addressing the rallies, the PTI leaders said that the whole nation stands with Prime Minister Imran Khan and while condemning the foreign power’s interference they said that they will not allow anyone to challenge the country’s sovereignty. They further said that history will never forgive the traitors and they will stand with their leader in his struggle to build an independent nation.
