RAWALPINDI: Members of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) are protesting the killing of Maulana Shamsur Rehman Muawiya, the chief of ASWJ’s Punjab chapter in Lahore on Saturday, Express News reported.
An angry mob shouted slogans outside the Governor House and on Mall Road and demanded that the killers of their leader be caught as soon as possible.
ASWJ members also protested in Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura.
They have blocked the Faisalabad Interchange from all four sides. The motorway to Islamabad from Rawalpindi is also blocked causing inconvenience to the general public. Police has reached the area to avoid any untoward incident.
Murree Road and Kashmir Highway are also blocked. Protesters are using bricks and sticks to divert traffic.
Protests will continue until Shamsur Rehman’s funeral in Lahore, according to demonstrators.
Background
Muawiya was shot dead in Lahore on December 6. He was killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car along Ravi Road. The ASWJ leader was returning home after leading Friday prayers at the Muhammadi Mosque in the Ravi Road locality.
On December 6, ASWJ had announced that its members will stage a sit-in on the Islamabad Highway at Faizabad on Saturday morning to protest the killing of its provincial leader in Lahore.
The ASWJ members had rallied at Aabpara Chowk around 5pm yesterday to condemn the killing of Shamsur Rehman. The Kashmir Highway and roads leading to Aabpara Chowk had remained closed for over two hours, until the demonstrators started dispersing for Isha prayers around 7pm.
