The strike call given by APDM completely fizzled out in the industrial city, while partial shutter down strike was observed in few pockets of downtown area against the presidential election on Saturday.
Heavy contingents of police were deployed at Chowk Clock Tower, but during clash between protestors and shopkeepers police stayed away in which five shopkeepers among seven persons were injured. However, City District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef visited the Chowk Tower immediately and cooled down the traders.
Meanwhile, the vehicular traffic continued to ply on city roads throughout the day. Truck, bus and wagon stands witnessed normal activities, as vehicles remained moving in and out of their stands without any hindrance. Urban transport also remained in operation in addition to local wagons and Suzuki vans. Wheels of passenger buses on inter-district routes also continued throughout the day.
No shutter was down in eight bazaars of the industrial city and hundred percent shops remained opened. However, in some parts partial strike was observed.
When lawyers, MMA and PML(N) taken out protest processions separately against the presidential election in Kutchery Bazar, Chiniot Bazar and Aminpur Bazar, the shy and mentally divided shopkeepers shut down their shops far only an hour.
Meanwhile, protestors have thrown crackers into the open shops and beaten up the shopkeepers. Resultantly, traders also retaliated and beaten up the protestors. When shopkeepers assessed the situation and realising that situation was normal they opened their shops again.
City District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef also visited various parts of the City and thanked traders for their co-operation. "You are doing a national service by carrying out normal business activities in industrial city", he said, and assured that the government will try its best to resolve their genuine problems.
Talking to newsmen, the City Nazim said that shops were 100 percent opened in surrounding towns while all types of traffic were also continued to ply unhindered. "Some hard-liners tried to intimidate the peaceful shopkeepers in some parts of the town, but they boldly refused to accept their undue pressure", he added. Earlier, lawyers protesting against the presidential election brought out a rally and staged a demonstration in front of the City District Assembly.
Faisalabad Bar Association President Tanveer-ur-Rehman Randhawa, Secretary Tauqir Ahmad Shiekh and other senior lawyers were leading the protest rally brought out from the District Court here.
The lawyers raised slogans against President's election and termed it unconstitutional, while taking rounds of different city roads, which had turned into a public meeting at Chowk Clock Tower.
Addressing another protest rally, which was taken out from Almarkaz-e-Islami, District MMA President Sardar Zafar Hussain condemned the presidential election, saying the election of a President in uniform was illegal, which they would not accept under any circumstances. He vowed to further expand and electrify their protest movement against the President's uniform and said that the people from all school of thoughts would have to support this movement. Pakistan Muslim League (N) also took out protest rally from Khalidabad.
Comments
Comments are closed.