Religious workers’ sit-in causes huge traffic jam

LAHORE

Religious workers' sit-in outside Punjab Assembly continued for a second day on Thursday, causing traffic jams on almost all the roads leading to Faisal Chowk and creating huge problems for motorists and traders of The Mall.

Addressing the workers, the leaders at the sit-in warned of expanding the sit-ins to all major cities in the country, including Karachi and Islamabad, if their demands were not met till Friday evening.

No government officials or political leaders contacted the protesting leaders despite the traffic mess that continued whole day and even barred the Punjab Assembly members from entering the Assembly premises from the usual route. The MPAs and ministers were forced to reach the assembly from the road that leads to the place from the rear side on the Cooper Road. The traffic mess also caused problems for the students of Government Women College, Cooper Road and the shopkeepers on Beadon Road, Hall Road, Queens Road and Temple Road whose business remained almost closed.

The protesters were led by the leaders, including Dr Mufti Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Pir Afzal Qadri, Ashraf Asif Jalali, Mukhtar Ashraf Rizvi, Mian Asif Naqshbandi, Ziaullah Qadri, Ghufran Mehmood Sialvi, Pir Ijas Ashrafi and Prof Shafqat Rasool.