Students stranded at Gujranwala station spend night at nearby school

GUJRANWALA: More than 150 schoolchildren en route to Lahore from Abbottabad were stranded at a railway station in Gujranwala on Sunday as the train track has been closed owing to countrywide protest against the Faizabad operation.

According to the schoolchildren and their teachers, their mobile phone batteries have died due to which they cannot contact their families. The stranded people have also run out of money to buy food.

The girls and boys — of grades between one and 10 — and teachers are from a private school in Lahore, who had gone for a trip to Abbottabad. They were on their way to Lahore today when their train was stopped in Gujranwala around noon due to protest on the railway track in Shahdara.

The protest has led to suspension of train service between Rawalpindi and Lahore.

The same train, in which the schoolchildren and teachers are stranded, has three grooms along with families, who were supposed to reach their respective destinations for their weddings.

The railway administration sent the train back to Rawalpindi instead of taking the risk of getting passengers struck at another station.  

Some people disembarked the train to continue their journey through other means, while the schoolchildren were given space to stay at a nearby private school. The parents of some of the schoolchildren managed to come to pick them. 

The protests that erupted across the country after operation at Faizaabad Interchange, had brought daily life at a standstill. Exam schedules, besides business, have also been affected due to the current law and order situation.