All roads in Rawalpindi were declared open for traffic on Friday after PTI workers removes blocks that had been in place since Monday. The roads were opened after Imran Khan issued instructions late on Thursday night that all protests should be called off.
Traffic police announced that Murree Road, Old Airport Road and IJP Road were all open and traffic was flowing normally. Entry points for Motorway M1 and M2 were and GT road at Taxila were also declared open.
Schools in Rawalpindi were closed from Tuesday to Thursday and citizens were forced to commute through alternate routes after PTI workers had blocked traffic at multiple points, including a main camp that blocked both sides of Murree Road at Shamsabad. The protest was against The assassination attempt on Imran Khan on November 3.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s had instructed his supporters to end road blocks hours after PTI workers closed sections of motorways M1 and M2 near Islamabad on Friday.
He issued the new instruction in a tweet at midnight.
“As our Long March for Haqeeqi Azadi has resumed once again, I am calling on all our workers to end their road blockades with immediate effect,” Imran Khan said.
Earlier, protesters have blocked two M1 motorway interchanges near Islamabad, halting traffic headed towards the federal capital as well as stopping vehicles leaving Islamabad and Rawalpindi for Lahore and Peshawar.
This followed protest demonstrations at several points on local Rawalpindi roads that had been disrupting traffic flow and causing long delays for three days by Thursday.
The Islamabad Police Thursday evening advised citizens of Rawalpindi and Islamabad against leaving the twin cities for travel on motorway.
“’Protesters have blocked Lahore and Peshawar motorways. Citizens are advised to avoid traveling towards the Motorway,” it said in a statement issued on Twitter.
The police said that the GT road and other local roads running parallel to the motorway had become clogged. “Citizens should get updates about the condition of the motorway and roads before traveling,” the statement said urging motorists to report any suspicious activity to police helpline 15.
PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said that the party workers would continue to protest at GT Road near Fateh Jang Interchange of Motorway M1 and would stage a protest at M1 Motorway’s Islamabad Toll Plaza.
Bukhari said that they would close the road near the toll plaza to register their protest against the attack on Imran Khan.
During the day, PTI activists under Zulfi Bukhari staged a protest at the GT Road near Fateh Jang Interchange of Motorway M1.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has appealed to local leaders and parliamentarians of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to play their role in rescuing the masses from difficulties they are facing due to the closure of roads by PTI workers.
In a statement on Thursday, he said PTI workers were involved in closing roads under police protection and government protocol, adversely affecting the general public, adding that the situation was affecting people’s businesses and their participation family events, as well as educational activities.
He said patients were finding it difficult to reach hospitals.
The interior minister said that a handful of PTI workers had been disturbing people for the last four days at the behest of the police. He said people’s patience is running out due to the prevailing situation.
“We neither want any political confrontation nor will allow this, but we are afraid that people may now start accountability of Imran Khan’s activists, who are hell-bent to create chaos and anarchy in the country.”
