Pakistan
Mufti Muneeb calls for nationwide ‘Wheel-jam’ strike today
Lahore: Former Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Muḥammad Muneeb-Ur-Rehman has called for a nationwide wheel-jam and shutter down strike on Monday (today) after violent protests in Lahore led to clashes between police and supporters of an outlawed religio-political party.
Tanzimat Ahl-e-Sunnat leader had made the announcement for a strike in a press conference held at Darul Uloom-e-Amjadia in Karachi along with other religious leaders late on Sunday.
The move came after the police and Rangers conducted an operation at Yateemkhana Chowk in Lahore to disperse the protesters of the banned outfit on Sunday.
During the operation all roads leading to the roundabout were closed, while there were reports of multiple casualties during the clashes between law enforcers and protesters.
Following the incident, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab, Firdous Ashiq Awan took to her official twitter handel and briefed the entire occurrence.
She shared an official statement issued from the Punjab police on the entire incident.
“The miscreants were armed with petrol bombs and acid bottles and attacked the cops at the police station,” the caption read.
As per statement, earlier today, a group of miscreants attacked the Nawankot Police Station in Lahore where they held deputy superintendent of police (DSP) hostage at gunpoint, along with 11 police officers and drove them to their markaz nearby.
“The attackers used petrol bombs and bottles of acid, Rangers and police personnel were trapped inside the police station,” the statement added.
According to the police statement, the miscreants also stole an oil tanker carrying 50,000 litres of petrol and the police pushed back the miscreants and took back possession of the police station.
"Police did not plan or conduct any operation against the mosque or madrassah. The action, if any, was in self-defence and to protect public property," read the statement.
Awan, confirming the same, said that any action taken was in self-defence and to rescue the police officers taken hostage.
Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman supported Mufti Muneeb’s call for shutter down strike against Lahore incident and condemned the Lahore incident.