Religious parties’ rally brings Islamabad to a standstill
No public transport, major roads blocked as protest enters third day
Hundreds of supporters of religious parties have blocked major roads in Pakistan’s capital, disrupting the lives of millions of people of Islamabad and Rawalpindi since Wednesday.
Activists of the Tehreek-eLabaik Yah Rasool Allah (TYL) party are demanding the removal of the country’s law minister over a recently omitted reference to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in a constitutional bill.
Although the minister apologised and clarified the omission was a clerical mistake, the demonstrators are keen that the government punish those responsible for the recent modification in the Khatame-Nabuwat clause, which has since been withdrawn. The sitin that started on Wednesday afternoon entered its third day yesterday, shutting down public transport and choking major arteries of the city.
Commuters stranded
The rally started off from Lahore, arriving in Islamabad on Wednesday at the famous Faizabad crossing — one of the major roads which connect Islamabad and Rawalpindi — causing a massive traffic jam and leaving commuters stranded on the roads for hours.
The Faizabad intersection is also a major link between Azad Jammu and Kashmir, KhyberPakhtunkhwa and Punjab which is why intercity commuters suffered as well.
The rally which began with a few hundred members of the small religious party, grew to about 3,000 yesterday, disturbing daily life and prompting Islamabad police to set up huge containers on the main roads to prevent the protesters from entering the city.
Commenting on the situation, Malik Ayub Sumbal, a political analyst, said: “The capital of Pakistan has turned into a castle of containers because of a few demonstrators who challenged the writ of government.”
No TV coverage
Most people turned to social media for updates since TV channels were not covering the protest.
The sit-in made life miserable for those who regularly commute between Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Many parents did not send their children school because of the uncertain situation.
“I couldn’t go to university for last two days because of the road blockages” said a student, Hamid Bhatti, adding: “This is worst traffic jam I have witnessed in Islamabad.”