The Punjab government has reportedly decided to shut down cellular services across the province to stop Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march towards Islamabad.
As per media reports, Chief Minister Punjab, Hamza Shehbaz, chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday, in which the law enforcement agencies briefed him on measures taken to stop the long march.
The chief minister was apprised that the mobile phone services will be shut down at 350 places across Punjab, including 20 places in Lahore.
As per reports, CM Hamza Shehbaz approved the closure of mobile phone services in these places.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and PTI Chairman, Imran Khan, reiterated on Tuesday that he would lead a large convoy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa towards Islamabad on Wednesday, 25 May.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the PTI chief called on the nation to come out in numbers against the ‘imported government,’ which he believes was ‘installed’ through a US-backed regime-change conspiracy.
Imran Khan condemned the brutal police action against PTI leadership and workers across Punjab and urged the judiciary and the military establishment to play their roles and stop the government from turning PTI’s peaceful long march into a bloody one.
His comments come a day after the Punjab government launched a province-wide crackdown, and carried out over 1,200 raids to arrest the PTI workers and leadership ahead of the planned march.
Raids were carried out at the residences of PTI leaders, Hammad Azhar, Waleed Iqbal, Usman Dar, Malik Ishtiaq, Mian Zafar, Yasir Gillani, Sadia Sohail, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chaudhry Ikhlaq, and many others.
Further, the Rawalpindi police also carried out multiple raids on Awami Muslim League leader, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, but failed to apprehend him.
