The religious activists had occupied the Faizabad Bridge which connects Rawalpindi and Islamabad through the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road, both of which are the busiest thoroughfares in the twin cities. On Friday, Justice Siddiqui ordered Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Captain (r) Mushtaq Ahmed and the deputy inspector general of police (operations) to ensure the dispersal of protesters at all costs. “For the last 10 days, the Islamabad administration has been playing a role of a spectator of a cricket match,” said the court order. The DC told the court that the number of protesters, currently between 1,800 and 2,000, may increase after Friday prayers. Justice Siddiqui lamented that the district administration had been unsuccessful in exercising its authority to end the protest.

Source: Pakistan Today November 17, 2017 07:51 UTC