Demo in front of Zaman Park: Lahoriites face massive gridlock on several roads

A worst traffic mess was observed on many important thoroughfares of Lahore after hundred of affected, including women and children of Eden Housing Society(EHS) held a protest demonstration outside the Zaman Park residence of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday, demanding recovery of their hard-earned money looted by the society.
In a similar event, the traffic movement got worsened when police officials cordoned-off the entry and exit points of Thokar Niaz Baig by placing containers to avoid any untoward incident during the production of PML-N senior leaders Khuwaja Saad Rafique and Salman Rafique before an Accountability Court in Lahore.
Moreover, the security measures taken for the prime minister's cavalcade also multiplied the inconveniences of commuters. Besides other main arteries, the traffic mess was observed on Canal Road, Mall Road, Jail Road, Zafar Ali Road, Shahra-e-Awan-e-Tajarat, Davis Road, Sundar Das Road, Shahra-e-Awan-e-Iqbal, Egerton Road and Ferozpur Road.
The protesters carrying placards demanded the local administration to let them meet Imran so that they could convey their maladies and sufferings.
However, when some senior officials tried to end the protest by assuring the demonstrators that the matter would be taken up with the relevant authorities, they refused to budge by arguing that such assurances had been given in the past. Some of the protestors also shouted slogans against Imran Khan for not taking up the matter seriously.
Consequently, the protest continued for several hours, paralyzing the traffic on Canal Road and other adjoining areas. They also complained of manhandling by police. The protest was under way till filing of this report.
The protesters requested the premier to bring Eden Housing Society owner Dr Amjad and others back from Canada and recover the looted money from them or ensure the group completed the project and handed them over the houses and plots promised to them. It may be noted that there are at least 10,000 affectees of the group.
In April, Dr Amjad and his two sons had managed to escape the country and travel to Canada as the interior ministry did not put their names on the Exit Control List (ECL) despite the anti-graft watchdog's request. The NAB had detected the property owned by the Eden group worth up to Rs20bn.
The bureau had claimed that it would soon compensate the affectees.