Wattoo arrival defuses tension at Lahore airport

LAHORE: With the arrival of President Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, calm was restored at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, where party workers clashed with the Airport Security Force (ASF) for nearly two hours, Geo News reported.

According to PPP Punjab office bearers, the workers after receiving Wattoo at the airport left for Nasir Bagh where a stage was set for a huge public rally.

Prior to Watto’s arrival, PPP workers clashed with ASF personnel after they were not allowed to enter the domestic lounge to welcome the new PPP Punjab president.

"Overenthusiastic PPP workers wanted to enter the domestic arrival lounge, where only passengers are allowed, that's why we had to bar them from barging in", an ASF personnel said.

Enraged workers broke their sticks on ASF men and vice versa. The rioters vandalized the airport in protest and continued with their violence even after appeals for calm from PPP leaders like Samina Khalid Ghurki.

"There were crazy bouts of stick fighting amd hand to hand combat. The hopping mad crowd was challenging the security men everywhere, who were just trying to do their job", sources told Geo News.

The situation that arose after this mayhem disrupted the regular operation of the airport forcing the authorities to get the domestic passengers out through international arrival lounge.