Clashes between PTI workers, police turn Numaish Chowrangi into a battlefield

KARACHI, May 25: In connection with the PTI’s Islamabad long march, workers also gathered at the Numaish Chowrangi in Karachi where the situation has become tense, Dunya News reported on Wednesday. Tensions erupted in the evening at the Numaish Chowrangi when furious protesters set fire to a police mobile while several policemen were injured by stone-pelting. The PTI workers are also holding protests at Shahra-e-Qaedin, Khudadad Colony, Noorani Chowrangi and Noorani Chowrangi. on the other hand, In Islamabad, PTI workers set fire to various places on D-Chowk Road in the federal capital, during which the workers also pelted stones at the police. The provincial capital, Lahore on Wednesday witnessedviolent clashes between the PTI workers and the riot police, as thedistrict administration had blocked all exit points leading towardsIslamabad. The police had to fire tear-gas shells to disperse the PTI workers near Bhatti Chowk, Shahdara, Aiwan-e-Adl, Ravi Bridge and other areas. At some places, the PTI workers attempted to proceed towards Islamabad by pushing aside containers amid tear-gas shelling. The vehicle of PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid was also damaged and she reportedly received minor injuries. Dr Yasmin, in a statement, alleged that the windshield of her vehicle was broken by the police. To police tried to arrest senior PTI leaders Shafqat Mahmood and Hammad Azhar, who were leading rallies.The PTI lawyers and workers also scuffled with police outside Aiwan-e-Adl and Post Master General office. The police, however, arrested dozens of PTI leaders and workers including Andleeb Abbas, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Jamshed Iqbal and Ijaz Chaudhry, and some of them were later released. Earlier, Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Lahore Sohail Chaudhry told a press conference that in the last few days the police had received information that weapons were being brought to the provincial capital to disturb its peace. The DIG said the police chased five cars near the Motorway. Then the police raided the house of Zubair Niazi, PTI’s General Secretary, in Lahore and recovered a huge cache of weapons, including 13 SMG rifles, three pistols, 26 magazines and hundreds of bullets, which were apparently meant for use during the march, he claimed. Meanwhile, the cellular services reportedly remained suspended in few parts of the provincial metropolis.- NNI