PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Police personnel resorted to fire tear gas shelling at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers at Swabi Interchange on Monday afternoon when they led by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak began journey towards Islamabad.
The PTI convoy left Swabi with heavy machinery and Crane lifters and tried to remove the hurdles erected by the administration.
But in the meantime, police began using tear gas shelling and rubber bullets against the protesters to deter them.
Earlier talking to PTI workers before leaving for the Federal Capital to join November 2 protest, the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak said that we would reach Bani Gala at all costs. He said that the federal government had violated the Constitution and law by disconnecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from rest of the country.
Khattak said that PTI’s protest would be peaceful by if any adverse situation occurred on way to Islamabad, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would be held responsibly.
Meanwhile, the Federal Interior Secretary wrote a letter to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary today asking to take necessary steps to prevent unlawful congregations within the jurisdiction of the province.
The letter drew attention towards various intelligence reports indicating intentions of a selected group of people to march on to Islamabad on Wednesday from KPK with a declared intention of paralyzing and holding hostage the people and government institutions in the Federal Capital.
It said that certain Cabinet Ministers and members of the KPK Provincial Assembly intended to lead some of these processions along with their official and personal armed body guards. It said that if it happened it would be a grave violation of law and in complete breach of public order since no permission was given for such processions or protests.
The Interior Secretary said that not discharging the responsibility would amount to a violation of the constitutional obligation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for which it would be responsible.
