• Workers, activists gather in front of Rawalpindi Press Club
• Murree Road remains choked for hours
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Wednesday kicked off its 15-day nationwide protest from Rawalpindi against continuous rise in prices of petroleum products and edibles. In the first step, the PDM will stage protests in big cities of the country and afterwards, it will make a decision about holding public meetings or a long march. Political workers and activists of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat ulema-i-Islam- Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) led by Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem Khan and JUI-F leader Dr Ziaur Rehman gathered in front of Rawalpindi Press Club.
Former minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Tahira Aurangzeb, Daniyal Chaudhry and Hanif Abbasi also joined the protest and staged a sit-in for an hour on Murree Road. Due to the protest and sit-in, the traffic jam was witnessed on Murree Road – which connects the garrison city with Islamabad. All other linked roads connecting to Murree Road were choked.
Protesters were carrying party flags, placards, banners, portraits of Nawaz Sharif and opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif. They were chanting slogans in favour of their leaders and against Prime Minister Imran Khan and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Most of the participants were also chanting ‘Down with IMF’.
It must be noted that this is the first protest where PML-N former MNA Hanif Abbasi has appeared in public after three years of silence. He was sentenced in the Ephedrine case during the 2018 elections but was later acquitted from the special court after no evidence was found against him.
PML-N workers and activists gathered in the protest in large numbers as all local leaders brought out small rallies and joined the main demonstration on Murree Road.
Source: dawn.com
Friday, April 17, 2026
