SWABI/PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister Meena Khan Afridi and Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Shafiullah Jan were leading the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who kept the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway closed for traffic here on the fourth day on Monday.
The PTI workers remained on the motorway for day and night and the people faced great difficulties in reaching their destinations. The closure of the motorway has increased traffic on district roads because commuters were looking for alternative routes.
Talking to reporters, Meena Khan Afridi and Shafiullah Jan declared that the motorway would remain closed until their demands were met and the party founder Imran Khan was allowed to seek treatment under the supervision of his doctors and family members. Shafiullah alleged that the people of the entire country were on the roads from Karachi to Khyber and from Balochistan to Karachi and they had come out of their homes for Imran Khan.
He alleged that a popular leader of the country was not being allowed to seek treatment which was an injustice. The commuters confronted problems and the circumstances forced them to take alternative routes.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained cut off from other parts of the country as PTI workers continued to block major highways in different districts on Monday. Tens of thousands of people remained stranded between various districts of KP, other provinces, and the federal capital due to the road blockades by protesters. Life remained paralysed across the province because of the situation.
PTI workers blocked the Kohat-Islamabad Highway near Khushal Garh, disrupting vehicular traffic.
Protests also continued in Karak and other parts of KP. Protesters in Karak suspended the supply of gas and oil from Nashpa and Makori. Heavy contingents of police remained deployed in various areas to maintain law and order.
Hundreds of families returning home after the weekend remained stranded. People travelling to and from abroad via Islamabad Airport were also affected. In Kohat, Senator Khurram Zeeshan urged protesters to allow ambulances and passengers with air tickets to pass.
Elected members and office-bearers of PTI visited protest camps set up along highways. Prices of various food items brought from other provinces have increased due to the road blockade over the past few days.
Traders said the price of a 20kg flour bag has increased by Rs200. Prices of fruits and other food items are also expected to rise if the situation persists. Fruit traders feared losses amounting to millions of rupees if the blockade continued.
