Private schools in twin cities to reopen amid ongoing D-Chowk protest

ISLAMABAD: The All-Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association has announced that all private educational institutions in the twin cities will reopen on Monday (tomorrow) amidst a thin ongoing protest by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf at D-Chowk, Islamabad.

“All private schools and colleges in Rawalpindi and Islamabad will reopen on Monday,” said Association’s President Dr Malik Abrar Hussain.

He expressed hope that there will be no protests in Islamabad tomorrow and that traffic will flow smoothly.

“The decision to close down schools on Friday was taken in light of road blockages and for the safety of the children. From tomorrow, all private educational institutions will resume their usual schedule,” he added.

He also urged the government and political parties to find suitable methods of protest.

Containers remain on the streets and main roads of Islamabad, while the PTI workers sporadically show up at D-Chowk only to be confronted and shoved away by personnel of law-enforcement agencies.

Private schools were closed on Friday due to the PTI protest and road blockades.

According to Hum TV, the Islamabad administration has started removing containers and other obstacles from main raods and highways in the federal capital.

Hurdles on main internal roads and highways in Islamabad have been removed. However, the road leading to Parliament House from D-Chowk still remains shut.

The Islamabad Expressway from Faizabad to Khanna Pul via Barsati Nallah has been opened to traffic. However, the road between Islamabad and Rawalpindi is still closed at Faizabad. The raod from Faizabad to Murree Road, Rawalpindi, has been opened. The road linking Bhara Kahu to Islamabad has been opened.

The motorway M-1 and M-2 has been opened to two-way traffic. All roads leading to Red Zone are closed and only Margalla Road has been opened to traffic. The main road is still closed at Zero Point but the road at 26 Number Chungi has been opened to traffic.