Following the meeting, Barrister Gohar described it as significant. Barrister Gohar confirmed to journalists that the PTI founder’s call for protest is final and dismissed any rumours about it being called off.
When asked by a journalist about the details of the ongoing negotiations, Gohar responded that updates would be provided soon and assured that the talks were underway.
Clashes erupt as Gandapur, Bushra Bibi-led PTI convoy enters Punjab
In a tense standoff between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party’s main convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur entered Punjab in the wee hours of Monday en route to Islamabad.
The convoy aims to secure the release of former prime minister and party’s founder Imran Khan and fulfil other demands. The situation has escalated as law enforcement intensifies measures to prevent PTI workers from reaching the federal capital.
Massive security arrangements and road closures
To counter the PTI’s planned protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, authorities have sealed all entry and exit routes to the capital. Containers block motorways, GT Road, and connecting highways.
Additionally, barbed wire and trenches have been strategically placed on roads leading from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir, including Murree’s Ghora Gali.
Case filed against 81 PTI workers, 200 unidentified individuals in Sargodha
A case has been registered against 81 PTI workers and 200 unidentified persons, police said.
The case was filed at Shahpur City police station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Muhammad Azam.
Among those named in the FIR are MNA Malik Shafqat Abbas Awan and Usama Ghayas. Punjab Assembly members Ali Asif Bhaga and Ansar Haral have also been implicated in the case.
The police further said that over 80 PTI workers have been arrested by Shahpur City police. The charges include rioting, making inflammatory speeches, and creating unrest in the area.
Peaceful protests, rallies should be allowed: PPP minister
Sindh Minister for Energy, Planning and Development Nasir Hussain Shah has said that peaceful protests and rallies should be allowed.
Speaking at IBA University Sukkur, the PPP leader said that to them the PML-N was the same as the PTI.
PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi addressed the party’s supporters accompanying her in the march toward Islamabad during their stop near Hazara Interchange. She urged the PTI protesters to continue the journey till the release of former prime minister.
“It’s not just about my husband. It is about the country and its leader,” she said, pledging to stand till her last breath.
‘Searching for Aleema baji since yesterday’
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has claimed that the death toll in Parachinar and Kurram has reached 80, as she questioned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s priorities during such unrest.
In a press conference, she said that Punjab police had detained 80 individuals across the province for violating Section 144. She mocked the low turnout at the opposition leader’s latest call for protest, claiming that only 80 people showed up, calling it a significant embarrassment for the party.
Bukhari praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her efforts to provide relief to the public while accusing the PTI of instigating unrest. She highlighted the public’s rejection of “fitna calls,” implying widespread disapproval of PTI’s actions. She also remarked on the absence of Aleema baji, whom she had been searching for since yesterday.
CIA building in Islamabad declared sub-jail
The Islamabad administration has declared the CIA building in I-9 as a sub-jail, a notification issued by the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad said.
According to the notification, the CIA building has been designated as a sub-jail under Section 3 of the Prisoner Act 1894. The approval for this move was granted by the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
Metro bus service and Ring Road closed in Lahore
The metro bus service and the ring road in Lahore have been shut down, causing significant inconvenience for commuters.
Traffic flow on major roads in Lahore has been heavily impacted, with congestion reported in several areas.
PTI’s efforts will yield no results: minister
Azma Bukhari, Punjab’s information minister, mentioned that six police personnel were injured, and a police van was destroyed at Khanna Pul during PTI’s protest.
She described PTI as neither peaceful nor political, citing an earlier protest where a police officer lost his life and an incident at Mianwali Interchange where fires were set.
Bukhari criticised the lack of mobilisation among PTI’s 104 MPAs in Punjab, questioning their absence from the streets. She also mocked Bushra Bibi for failing to attract an audience during her speech and noted the absence of any revolutionary spirit in Lahore or Punjab yesterday.
Labelling the situation as a ploy to secure an NRO, Bukhari asserted that PTI’s efforts would yield no results. Meanwhile, she said, life in Punjab remained largely unaffected, with schools in Lahore open as usual and intercity routes experiencing some restrictions.
