ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has endorsed a novel plan to hire 200 cameramen for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s shutdown call in Lahore today, it was learnt.
Sources close to the party said the Punjab government intends to deploy cameramen to record footage of PTI protesters and use the recordings later as evidence against PTI workers ahead of the registration of FIRs. The cameramen were hired from yesterday night to tonight.
After applauding the idea, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quickly approved it. Sources said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah Khan briefed the PM about the government’s troubleshooting strategy on December 15. They said the party is determined not to repeat its Faisalabad strategy in Lahore.
The Punjab government has asked the business community to keep their businesses open for a part of the day as its hired cameramen shoot videos. Later, the media sections of the Punjab government and federal government will air the recordings to show how Lahore was running smoothly. Traders in the city have reportedly been approached by PML-N’s Lahore President Malik Pervez, and have given him an assurance that they will open their markets early in the morning till 12noon. Traders will decide how long they will keep their shops open in view of the situation.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif apprised the PM that in addition to the police, he has decided to deploy Punjab Rangers as well in order to give added protection to the city’s businessmen and to control PTI workers.
All PML-N lawmakers in the city have been asked to remain behind the scenes on December 15. In case PTI workers try to sow discord, they intend to point it out to the cameramen, and later support police in registering cases against them. Internews
