Live updates:Thousands converge on Lahore to attend PTI rally

LAHORE : Preparations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to display a strong show of street power on Sunday (today) at Minar-e-Pakistan are in full swing , as thousands of supporters began arriving in the city amidst party leaders accusing the government of blocking participants from entering Lahore by impounding public and private vehicles on inter-city routes.Addressing a press conference at the venue on Saturday evening, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice President MPA Shoaib Siddiqi and other leaders, including Senator Faisal Javed, Iftikhar Durrani and Aisha Chaudhry, alleged that hundreds of vehicles were being impounded by police on the roads leading to Lahore from other districts of Punjab.They warned if the rulers did not desist from obstructing the peaceful holding of the public meeting, entire responsibility of law and order would rest on the shoulders of the rulers.They said they had held several meetings with the district and local administrations, and police, informing them about the complete details of the arrangements at the venue, including stage, entry gates and boundaries of the venue.The PTI leaders claimed to have placed 50,000 chairs, and different sections of district and tehsil leaderships were given targets of bringing maximum participants.They alleged that the ruling party’s 'Gullu Butts' were ruining all of their peaceful arrangements for the public meeting. They said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had always maintained peace and tranquility, but warned that if their workers were pushed to the limits, no guarantee of peace could be given.They said separate entry gates were set up for men and women, while parking arrangements were made at the bus stand. They said food and water arrangements were made in plenty to maintain peace and discipline among the participants. They said women would reach the venue through the road from the railway station.Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf central Punjab President Abdul Aleem Khan alleged that official machinery was being used to obstruct and harass the PTI workers from peacefully participating in the public meeting.He hoped that Lahorites and the PTI Junoon would defeat all those opposing peaceful political change in the country and the forces of the status quo.Traffic PlanCitizens should make maximum use of Ring Road for their movement: Roy Ejaz AhmedThe way will be kept clear for ambulances and other emergency vehicles: Roy Ejaz AhmedOpen routes for traffic1- Lahore Rung Road, Lower Mall Road, Outfall road are open for all types of traffic2- Mall Road, Jail Road, Canal Road and Ferozpur Road are open for all kinds of traffic.3- The road from Shahdra Chowk to Old Ravi Bridge are also open for traffic.Alternate routes1- Traffic from Mall Road, Secretariat to Shahdra Chowk can now move from Zila Kutchehry Chowk to Outfall Road and from Saggian to Rung Road and AlSaeed Chowk.2- For going from Shahdra Chowk to Lower Mall and Mall Road, citizens can use the routes from Saggian Outfall Road to Kutchehry Chowk via Rung Road.Heavy traffic will be diverted from following points to alternate routes:1-Kala Shah Kaku, 2- Kot Abdul Malik, 3- Faizpur Inter-change, 4- Dosako Chowk, 5- AlSaeed Chowk, 6- Shahdra Chowk, 7- Begum Kot Chowk and 8- Barkat PaliParking arrangementsGreater Iqbal Park, Forests Department Parking, Nasir Bagh Parking, Mochi Gate Parking, Kashmiri Gate Parking, Maulana Ahmed Ali Parking (single lane), Datanagar Parking (single lane)Manpower detail11 DSPs, 48 inspectors, 90 patrolling officers and 710 traffic wardens will perform duty under supervision of SP Traffic Saddar Division Sardar Asif Khan and SP City Division Asif Siddiq.18 folk lifters 2 breakdowns and 4 traffic squads will also be deployed for preventing wrong parking.People will be briefed moment to moment for guidance and felicitation through ‘Apps way’ and City traffic radio FM 88.6.Citizens can contact Police Helpline 15 for alternate traffic plan and guidance.Note: No parking will be allowed elsewhere except the parking.The participants of the rally are requested to cooperate with traffic police.