Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan had announced a rally from Zaman Park to Data Darbar in Lahore on March 8.
After which workers started reaching Zaman Park early in the morning.
The time for the rally was given at 1 pm as political rallies, processions or rallies usually start late.
As usual, other journalists left the house to go to Zaman Park with their colleagues, but as soon as the car turned from Zahoor Elahi Road to Canal Road, there was a traffic jam.
The vehicle was about to turn towards Shadman Colony when it was reported that the police had blocked all the roads and started rounding up the PTI workers.
Meanwhile, the urgency to reach Zaman Park grew as immediate coverage became necessary.
That’s why journalists are said to rush to the scene when people try to walk away to avoid a collision.
When they reached China Chowk to go towards Mall Road, there was also a traffic jam.
By and by, when Mall Road was reached, the way was open only to go towards Davis Road or Punjab Assembly in front of the Governor House.
There were long queues of vehicles in this rush, but when they reached Davis Road Muslim League House Chowk, they saw that the cold road leading to Zaman Park was also blocked by a heavy contingent of Hollis with containers.
Journalists were puzzling the police to go to Zaman Park for coverage, Kheer asked SP Sarfraz ‘Why is it so tough?’
He said, ‘There are strict orders from above. Section 144 is enforced and those PTI workers who are refusing to go forward are being arrested.
He gave permission to journalists on the condition of walking to Zaman Park.
Saw a prison van from the front coming from Zaman Park in which 12 PTI workers were locked up.
Seeing the journalists, they started chanting ‘Imran Khan Zindabad’.
After traveling three to four kilometers on foot, they reached Zaman Park and the police blocked the way by placing a container on the canal bridge.
There was a heavy police presence with batons and PTI women workers were not even allowed to go on foot.
Journalists were allowed to leave by showing the card.
When we turned from Canal Road towards Zaman Park, Canal Road was deserted from where it was not possible to cross the road.
Three to four hundred PTI workers were present at Zaman Park and vehicles etc. were parked.
There was also a container on which the band members were invited to play special party songs. Buggy was also present and workers were present on both sides of the canal from the temporary bridge.
Policemen and PTI members were standing facing each other with sticks.
(Independent Urdu)
In the meantime, some workers from Mal Road came running with puffed breath and said that ‘Police are doing heavy shelling and breaking vehicles. Dozens of workers have been arrested. We have come with a hard life so be prepared, the police might even come here.’
There were also a dozen women there who looked quite embarrassed and worried.
We started coverage there where activists appeared on camera reacting violently to police brutality.
40 to 50 workers with sticks were on security duty around Imran Khan’s residence.
Looking back towards the Mall Road, the workers were being shelled by the police from time to time, the workers would go ahead and then come back coughing.
After some time, six or seven police cars came to Zaman Park and the policemen stood there so that the workers do not go towards Mall Road.
Workers and women in many vehicles complained that these glasses were broken by the police with batons.
At the same time, PTI leader Farrukh Habib told reporters that dozens of workers have been injured by police lathi charge and tear gas. who have been shifted to Services Hospital to receive medical attention.’
Yasmeen Rashid came along with some women activists and gave a strong reaction saying ‘Let me see how the policemen are torturing’.
She went towards Mall Road with the workers but police officers spoke to her and she returned.
This situation continued for two or three hours but the number of Zaman Park PTI workers kept decreasing instead of increasing.
At around 6 pm, the police started shelling to disperse the workers from outside Zaman Park.
Meanwhile, many workers were injured and reached the hospital due to the response of PTI workers, according to the police officials, eleven police personnel were also injured at different points.
The route of the PTI rally was laid from Zaman Park to Canal Road, Mall Road and Jail Road underpass to Muslim Town Mor and then Data Darbar via Ferozepur Road.
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The police did not allow any PTI worker or vehicle to pass on this entire route, just as the route was sealed on May 25 to stop the long march, the same situation was seen today.
The workers of Tehreek-e-Insaaf kept clashing with the police at various places, but none of the leaders from the central leadership appeared at any point.
However, Hamad Azhar told reporters that ‘We have filed an application against Section 144 in the High Court. The workers are being injured by baton charge and shelling of tear gas, so far more than one hundred workers have been injured.’
In view of this situation, around 5 pm, Imran Khan addressed online and announced that ‘Workers go back, the rally is being cancelled.’
Despite this announcement, activists were present in Zaman Park and were shelled by the police to disperse them.
At the same time, Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Farrukh Habib said that PTI worker Ali Bilal alias Zale Shah, who was injured by police lathicharge, has died in Services Hospital. While two workers are unconscious with more serious injuries.
The videos shared by Tehreek-e-Insaf throughout the day and the situation seen with the eyes were the same scenes that were seen on May 25.
Despite these conditions, the police kept the roads of Zaman Park sealed till late at night. The rally was cancelled, but the PTI leadership, workers and supporters were left with images of another tough day.
In such circumstances, the Election Commission has announced the schedule of elections in Punjab, but the leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf is worried about how they will conduct the campaign while they also have reservations about the caretaker government.