PTI gears up for Faisalabad show of strength

A security agency has been hired to ensure women are not harassed

LAHORE: As the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) gears up for its Faisalabad jalsa, party leaders have been leaving no stone unturned to ensure what befell women at its recent Islamabad and Lahore rallies is not replicated.

From separate entry and exit points for women, a prohibition on men from entering the women’s enclosure to hiring the services of a security company, party leaders said they were not taking any chances when it came to preventing politically aligned elements from sabotaging the party’s jalsa.

The party’s recent gatherings in Lahore and Islamabad were marred by incidents of women being harassed. In the capital, PTI men breached the security cordon while events took a similar turn of events at the Lahore jalsa towards its end.

The Faisalabad jalsa—originally slated to be organised on May 8—was postponed after videos of women being harassed at the party’s Lahore and Islamabad jalsas began circulating. Since then, the PTI has blamed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of orchestrating the “attacks.” The party had also accused police of failing to effectively discharging its duties.

PTI Punjab Women Wing president Saloni Bokhari said while the PTI feared that the PML-N would attempt to sabotage the party’s Faisalabad jalsa party leaders had been striving to thwart any such move.

Taking advantage of recent events, Bokhari said, the party’s rivals were determined to intimidate women into refraining from coming together at PTI events.

Given that the city is home turf for Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, she said, the PTI was up against “Gullu Butts.” She said they would strive to deter women from participating in the jalsa. “Our women workers are a determined lot. They cannot be intimidated,” Bokhari said.

Instead of relying on the Insaf Students’ Federation (ISF) to ensure that women remained protected at the show of strength, she said, a security firm had been entrusted with the responsibility. “PML-N hoodlums disguise themselves as PTI workers and harass women,” she said. Bokhari said she would personally ensure that all women remained safe at the Faisalabad jalsa.

Former PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry—entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing preparations for the Faisalabad jalsa—said all measures had been taken to ensure women’s safety. “What transpired in Lahore was orchestrated,” he said.

Chaudhry said apart from separate entry and exit points for both genders and the proscription on men from entering the women’s enclosure media houses too had been requested to depute women journalists to cover the event from space reserved for women. He said district authorities had been cooperating with the party, albeit reluctantly.

PTI leaders Aleem Khan, Shoaib Siddiqi and Chaudhry Sarwar will leave for Faisalabad on Friday morning for the jalsa. Chaudhry appeared confident of pulling off a spirited show of support amid scorching temperatures. Rejecting rumours of a rift among the ranks of PTI’s Faisalabad leadership, he said the party was united. Chaudhry said minor differences of opinion were prevalent across the political spectrum.

Rejecting the PTI’s assertions, the PML-N’s Azma Bokhari said aggression went hand-in-hand with the PTI. She held PTI chairman Imran Khan chiefly responsible for this. “Don’t pass the buck. Reality speaks volumes,” Bokhari said. She welcomed Saloni’s decision to sit among the PTI’s women workers. “This should have been the practice from the start,” Bokhari said. She said leaders should sit among party workers instead of sitting on containers and podiums. “Had they done this from the start, they wouldn’t have needed to enlist the services of a security firm,” Bokhari said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2016.