ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Normalcy has slowly returned to Islamabad and Rawalpindi twin cities on Monday after the police allegedly cleared protesters from Muridke and restored traffic on important roads.
Police sources said that the protest sit-in was ended by a successful operation on Sunday night, and the GT Road was subsequently cleared and opened for normal traffic.
As the situation slowly stabilized, all roads connecting Islamabad with Rawalpindi have now been reopened to commuters.
In Rawalpindi, schools and other educational institutions went back on stream after a four-day break, and commercial activity also resumed at a faster rate, as shopping centers and businesses were reopened along Murree Road. Traffic on Murree Road and other connecting routes was said to be moving smoothly.
But Murree Road access to Faizabad was still closed, and the Metro Bus Service between the two cities was not yet operational.
Authorities verified that mobile and internet services were restored fully in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, making communication more efficient for citizens.
Besides this, some major arteries like the IJP Road, Double Road, Expressway, and the road from Double Road to Ninth Avenue were also reopened to vehicular traffic, facilitating movement through important junctions of the city.
The clearance operation in Muridke was a follow-up to several days of violence following the launch of a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad. Mobilisation by the group instilled broad fear among government officials, political parties, and the general public.
On Sunday, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah appealed to the leadership of the protest to cancel their march. He requested the party to provide a helping hand to the government and armed forces during the difficult times of the country.
Sanaullah mentioned that political and religious organizations had shown serious objections to the demonstration and demanded political harmony in the national interest.
During the protest in Lahore, the rally turned violent and resulted in fights between protestors and law enforcement officials.
At least 112 police officers were injured and over 100 protesters were arrested, according to DIG Operations Faisal Kamran. It was reported that protesters attacked the Shahdara Town police station and damaged both public facilities and private property.
In a related but distinct development, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had a meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore on Sunday to finalize the overall law and order and security situation of the country.
The high-level session witnessed an elaborate examination of counter-terrorism measures and other important national security issues. Minister Naqvi informed the premier about the internal security situation and the measures being taken by the Interior Ministry to ensure peace and stability.
PM Shehbaz appreciated Naqvi and his staff for their efforts to handle the situation and emphasized that it is vital to keep on implementing uniform, well-coordinated, and effective steps to protect the lives and assets of all the citizens.
He re-emphasized the government’s strong resolve to ensure the rule of law and again asserted that the safety of public life and the full elimination of terrorism are priorities of the administration.
