A day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan announced countrywide protests, rallies were staged in major cities across the country as PTI activists took to the streets in protest of the prime minister’s refusal to step down.
In Karachi, PTI workers organised a large car rally from Teen Talwar in Clifton to the city’s main artery Sharea Faisal. Supporters remained in the Nursery area for three hours, causing a traffic jam during peak travel time. They were wearing masks, tied stuffed toy lions to their cars, mocking the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz electoral symbol as they cried out, “Go Nawaz, go!”
Hundreds of cars and motorbikes joined the rally. “We have come here from every corner of the city, including Baldia Town, Clifton, Banaras and Nazimabad,” said one supporter. “This just proves that no matter what your background, people are in need of change.”
Sharea Faisal, one of the main thoroughfares of the metropolis, is home to many national and multinational companies’ offices, schools, shopping plazas and banks. While the car rally charged forward, many commuters were stranded behind the cavalcade as they tried to cross Sharea Faisal.
“I came here on my motorbike because I saw how the ruling party was stamping fake ballots in the election,” said one supporter, an A’ Level student named Hamza from Federal B Area. A young girl, Bakhtawar, said she travelled to the sit-in from Dhorajee with her mother. “I believe change has come because of these protests,” she said.
PTI leaders including Nadir Akmal Laghari, Advocate Hafeezuddin, Subhan Sahil and Saifur Rehman Mehsud addressed the sit-in.
“Karachi has been facing violence for decades now, but peaceful protests have proved that Karachi’ites need peace, which will only come when the PTI is in power,” said Laghari, the party’s Sindh chapter president. “This is a fight for the common people, it is not for personal glory,” said Hafeezuddin. Party workers moved from Sharea Faisal to Seaview, continuing the sit-in here until the filing of this report.
In Faisalabad, hundreds of workers, activists and office-bearers of PTI, PAT and allied groups including Majlis Wahdatul Muslemeen and the PML-Q took out protest rallies from different areas of the city. Participants marched up to Chowk Katchery Bazaar, where they blocked the busy intersection as they staged a sit-in.
“The prime minister uttered a lie with impunity before the nation but the army revealed all the government’s lies,” said PTI MPA Sheikh Khurram. “If the PM had some shame, he would resign immediately. Otherwise the nation will drag him out of Parliament as it is a sheer violation of the law to allow a liar to remain in the top slot.”
In Lahore, protesters converged in front of the Punjab Assembly. Women and children shouted slogans against the government and danced to national songs, blocking traffic on The Mall for hours.
PTI leaders Mehmoodur Rashid, Yasmin Rashid and Abdul Aleem Khan addressed the protesters. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should resign within 48 hours, otherwise he will have to face a public backlash,” Rashid said. “Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah should move a privilege motion against Nawaz Sharif,” he added.
Yasmin Rashid claimed the Azadi march had put pressure on the prime minister, saying, “No one can stop the people from creating Naya Pakistan.” Abdul Aleem claimed the PTI would ‘clean sweep’ any future elections in Lahore. PTI workers also organised a sit-in at Liberty Chowk and Lalak Jan Chowk in DHA.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2014.
COMMENTS (8)
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Ufffff
On what grounds is the resignation of NS justified when the entire parliament has stood unanimously behind the PM except one party. In which country do we see this kind of protest with stick brandishing protesters? Can you imagine such type of protest outside GHQ or any other military establishment. The missing persons relatives only once protested outside GHQ and they were beaten black and blue. Not a voice was raised in their favor either in the media or on any other forum. There are red lines that need not be crossed. The government has shown immense leniency in dealing with these people even letting them within the red zone. However IK and TUQ wanted to use them as canon fodder and they have done that already. While both the leaders were safely seated in their bullet proof containers; it was the gullible public who took the burnt of the police. Shame on these leaders.
If Nawaz will resign under the pressure of the Mob then the next PM will also thrown away by such mob and so on . It means unestability is in the destiny of Pakistan .
Thank you IK for your unwavering resolve for a better Pakistan. You always lead by example.
Govt has has so much power through Taxes and force and lot of Public money to counter the people s demand and protest ... I am not sure if these people can win against such huge tax money police
Demands for Nawaz Sharif resignation are justified government had deployed close to 100,000 police from punjab to inflict violence on unarmed protesters.
A government that talks about democracy and can't even understand the basic right of citizens to to protest and voice their concerns has no moral authority left to govern the country.
PML N does not represent democracy but represents a band of thugs.