FAISALABAD: The Anjuman-i-Tajran has announced that they will not be a part of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf protest on Dec 8.

However, PTI’s local Business Forum President Zafar Iqbal Sindhu said they would jam the district although the Punjab government was patting some leaders of traders who were on its payroll.

He said the government had also arranged a press conference of traders through the director general of the Public Relations Department.

Addressing a press conference, Traders Association President Shahid Razzaq Saka, flanked by some PML-N activists, said over 200 markets of Eight Clock Tower bazaars had rejected the PTI call for Dec 8 strike.

He said traders would react strongly if anyone tried to force them for the shutter down.

Mr Saka was the PML-N candidate for the PP-72 ticket, but the party had fielded Khawaja Liaquat, brother of former MPA Khwaja Islam, in the 2013 general elections. The seat has been lying vacant after the Supreme Court disqualified Khwaja Islam because of his fake degree.

Mahmood Alam, Haji Bashir and some other traders said sit-ins of the PTI had already damaged the businesses badly in the last three months.

They suggested PTI chief Imran Khan to stop doing negative politics and wait for the next general elections.

Meanwhile, Mr Sindhu told reporters the PTI would block all entry and exit points in the district and would not allow anyone to disrupt the peaceful protest.

He claimed that a majority of traders were united on the PTI platform, but the Punjab government was using some traders who were on its payroll.

He asked the DCO and the CPO to remain impartial in the wake of the PTI protest as they had information that the government was planning a crackdown on PTI workers.

WALK: The patrolling police arranged a walk on Thursday to create awareness among the masses to avoid road accidents.

Led by Faisalabad Region’s SSP (Patrolling) Sardar Asif and City Traffic Officer Muhammad Masoom, the walk was held in the D-Ground.

Among participants of the walk were students, doctors, policemen and civil society members who were also carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans regarding the road safety.

The SSP (Patrolling) told reporters that road accidents could be minimized considerably by creating awareness among the masses.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2014