SWABI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that he salutes the determination and enthusiasm shown by the PTI workers in the face of massive shelling of tear-gas and rubber bullets by the Punjab police to stop them from marching on Islamabad.

He was addressing party workers and leaders at Swabi Interchange where they had gathered on Wednesday to move to Islamabad for participation in the `thanksgiving` celebrations of the party at the Parade Ground in the federal capital.

KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, education minister Atif Khan, Shah Farman, health minister Shahram Khan Tarakai, MNAs and MPAs of the ruling party were present on the occasion. Mr Khattak said despite heavy tear-gas and roadblocks on the motorway enthusiastic workers reached Burhan, but the Punjab police again started tear-gas and rubber bullets` shelling on the workers.

It was reported that about 500 vehicles containing over 5,000 workers left the camp for Islamabad, which showed that participation of workers was below the claims made by the rulingpartyleaders.

On the occasion, some of the leaders were not happy over the postponement of the `locl
He asked the party workers not to harass media people as they covered their protest despite heavy odds.

He lauded the role played by journalists who were also trapped in the continued tear-gassing by the police.

The chief minister refuted the news that PTI had lost two workers in the confrontation with the police. However, he said anumberofworkersreceivedminorinjuries.-Correspondent