Protest demonstrations: Insaf Students promise the dawn of a new Pakistan

PML-N workers stage a protest demonstration of their own.

FAISALABAD/ LAHORE:

Insaf Students’ Federation continued their sit-in at Lalik Chowk, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), for the fourth consecutive day on Friday to press for demands put forth by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Speaking to The Express Tribune before the sit-in, Karrar Khan Niazi, an ISF member, said PTI chief Imran Khan had directed party workers to stage protests across the country. “We returned from Islamabad to organise sit-ins in Lahore,” Niazi said. “Our sit-in on Thursday night lasted half an hour but today we will protest for five hours.” He said the demonstration will be held to press for a “Naya Pakistan”. It will begin at 7pm and continue till past midnight.

Niazi said the sit-in provided PTI supporters in DHA the opportunity to sit together and watch Khan’s address live on a large screen set up at Lalik Chowk. “We are a peaceful and non-violent political party... this will continue till the Azadi March ends.” He said they were expecting a 10,000-strong crowd.

Moeedul Din Fareed, who has been supervising the sit-ins in the city, said they were largely attended by residents of the DHA. “Friday’s sit-in will be held on the road next to Lalik Chowk. We are expecting more than 5,000 party workers and as many civil society members,” Fareed said.

Muhammad Faisal, who has been attending the sit-ins that began on Tuesday, said, “We are here to support the PTI’s demands for electoral reform, the government’s resignation and midterm elections.” The new elections will lay the foundation for Naya Pakistan, Faisal said. “I have brought my family with me. We believe that the PTI alone can bring true democracy to Pakistan,” Faisal said.

Noreen, a protester carrying a placard saying Go Nawaz Go, said the government should give the PTI a chance to create Naya Pakistan. The present government has failed to deliver or even fulfil the promises made during elections, she said.

Several women were seen chanting slogans against the government claiming that it had failed to deliver. “We condemn the government’s attitude towards the PTI’s demands,” Noreen said.

At around 9pm on Friday, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique’s wife and several other PML-N workers arrived at the sit-in at Lalik Chowk and chanted slogans against the PTI. There was a small scuffle between workers of both parties and several PTI protesters, thinking that tensions might escalate, left the sit-in.

The crowd at the sit-in on Thursday night danced to party anthems and heard Khan’s speech live. Around 1,000 people including children were seen chanting slogans and demanding that the government resign. The participants brought food along with them and had a mini-picnic at Lalik Chowk.

PTI workers in Faisalabad

Scores of PTI activists and workers staged sit-ins in various parts of Faisalabad on Friday.

Dozens of PTI workers led by Mushtaq Ahmed Toor, (father of Waqar Mushtaq Toor, a candidate from PP-57), staged a sit-in at Tandlianwala.

The participants chanted slogans against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government and demanded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif resign.

The protesters marched on various roads of Tandlianwala City up to Laddu Chowk where they blocked the road for traffic.

Dozens of PTI workers and activists also staged a sit-in at Jaranwala Road in front of Dynasty Hotel.

The protesters chanted slogans against the police who, they claimed, had impounded the vehicles of PTI workers to prevent them from going to Islamabad with the Azadi March.

One of the protesters said, “The dawn of Naya Pakistan is near. The government had to resort to shameful tactics to cow down PTI workers but failed.”

The protesters said the government must release the PTI workers they had arrested. “Otherwise we will take practical steps to free them,” they warned.

They claimed that the police had put 11 PTI workers and 14 activists of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in Central Jail and Faisalabad District Jail.

A police spokesman said that they had released seven PAT workers held in Central Jail and seven from Faisalabad District Jail. He said all the 11 PTI activists had been released from Faisalabad Central Jail.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2014.