PTI long march 2022-Calm in Lahore after hours long clashes between police and PTI workers

The Lahore police cleared the Bati Chowk Lahore after hours of clashes between hundreds of PTI workers and police 

There is calm in provincial capital of Punjab province Lahore. The police and pTI workers played hide and seek throughout the day at Bati chowk on Ravi road near Ravi bridge. The police disperse the small crowd of PTI workers in the late afternoon and cleared the area after hours long protests and clashes. unlike Karachi and federal capital Islamabad where PTI workers are still clashing with police, the calm has returned to Lahore. The PTI leaders and workers have dispersed after failing to remove the police bearers and containers at various places on GT Road.    

 

The PTI leaders are going to announce their next plan of action and strategy tonight after the consultation. It is not clear yet that whether PTI leaders will start a sit-in in Lahore or try to reach Islamabad to join PTI chairman Imran Khan who is heading towards Islamabad leading a big rally from KP. The PTI is demanding fresh elections and dissolution of assemblies immediately. But coalition government is not ready to announce fresh elections immediately. 

The Lahore police blocked all the entry and exit points of Lahore yesterday to stop the PTI workers march towards Islamabad. The police placed containers at Ravi bridge to block the traffic towards GT Road. When PTI workers tried to remove the barriers and containers to clear their way towards Islamabad, the police resorted to the tear gas and baton charge.  

When Insight247.news team visited the Bati Chowk around 11:15 am, there were very few PTI workers at that time. The police was not allowing anybody to go beyond Metro Store chowk on Ravi road. 

The PTI workers tried to remove the containers and to force the police to retreat. But police used tear gas in response from the pedestrian bridge to stop the PTI workers. Only few hundred PTI workers gather at Bati Chowk. PTI failed to mobilise its workers and supporters in Lahore amid police crackdown. 

The PTI's lawyers also lashed with police at Data Darbar and removed barriers to reach at Bati Chowk. They reached near Bati Chowk but couldn't break through the police bearers.  

The different PTI leaders took out different rallies to march towards Islamabad. 

                                                                       Khalid Bhatti