Pak buses diverted due to Shiv Sena protest in Phagwara

Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) activists held a protest here on Wednesday against Pakistan for observing ‘Black Day’ to draw attention to what it terms India’s alleged human rights violations in Kashmir following the shooting down of a Kashmiri militant belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen by security forces earlier this month.

Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) activists held a protest here on Wednesday against Pakistan for observing ‘Black Day’ to draw attention to what it terms India’s alleged human rights violations in Kashmir following the shooting down of a Kashmiri militant belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen by security forces earlier this month.

Shiv Sena activists protesting in Phagwara on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Pakistan had announced its decision to mark “Black Day” after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week.

The protesters blocked the national highway here for 10 minutes, forcing the authorities concerned to divert two Delhi-Lahore and Lahore-Delhi buses.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced to observe a black day against India for unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, after the killing of Burhan Wani by the army.

Sena workers carried out a protest march in the city for around two hours and burnt Pakistan’s national flag and its Nawaz Sharif.

Protesters started their march from Hanumangarhi Temple and converged on NH1, blocking its two sides.

Workers also raised slogans against J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party accusing them of not making efforts to control the violent protests.

Due to the protest, the Sadae-Sarhad bus from Lahore was diverted via Kartarpur, Kapurthala, Nakodar, Noormahal and Phillaur to avoid passing Phagwara. While, the second bus coming from New Delhi was also diverted from Phillaur, avoiding their entry in Phagwara.

Activists forced three Muslim families belonging to Kashmir to shut down their garment showrooms. They wrote ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ slogans on the showrooms’ shutters. The showrooms, two in the Gaushala Bazaar, and one at Bansawala Bazar, had been running by here for the past many years here as ‘Kashmir Art Emporium’ and Kashmir Fashion Fair and Kashmir Clothes.