Almost all major entry and exit points, roads, and chowks — except Scheme Mor and motorway — were reopened for traffic after the marchers reached near Muridke on the Grand Trunk Road. The protesters had stayed overnight at Shahdara before resuming the march in the morning.
The unrest, which began on Wednesday night following a police crackdown on the party headquarters near Chowk Yateem Khana, had escalated into a virtual closure of the provincial capital by Friday.
Normalcy returned after authorities removed barricades that had blocked major city intersections.
In a media briefing in the evening, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said all state institutions had prioritised dialogue and exercised “maximum restraint in the greater interest of the nation and to maintain peace and order”.
“We kept all channels of communication open with the group and made every possible effort to address their concerns, but instead of bringing their demands to the negotiating table, they opted for confrontation and violence,” the official said.
The police reported that 112 personnel had been injured during the protests.