JI workers, MCI at odds over banners

Islamabad: The tussle and arguments between workers of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), employees of the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) and Islamabad Police continued for the whole day on Thursday on issue of display and removal of publicity banners for the election campaign.

The angry workers of JI also took a vehicle of Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) which falls under the MCI. The DMA employees riding the vehicle were removing publicity banners of Mian Muhammad Aslam, the candidate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) from NA-53 and NA-54, from sector G-10 and G-11.

The workers of JI also continued to follow vehicles of DMA which were removing banners from two sectors and forcibly stopped them from doing so. The JI workers also blocked Jaffar Chowk in Sector G-11 in protest against removal of their banners and arrest of their colleagues during the election campaign.

Sajjad Abbasi, a local leader of JI told ‘The News’ that they have deposited over Rs400,000 with the DMA as fee for display of banners but still their banners were removed. Earlier, on midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, the workers of JI were confronted with Islamabad Police near G-10 Markaz on issue of playing party's song on loud voice. The JI workers alleged that an officer of Islamabad resorted to direct firing at workers near their election office.

On the other hand, the police said the officer had to resort to aerial firing to disperse JI workers. The workers later were cooled down when they were told police officer involved in firing had been suspended.