Thousands throng to PTI meeting

FAISALABAD: Thousands of people turned up for the public meeting organised by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Friday to protest against the prime minister over allegations in Panama Leaks.

The meeting had been organised at Dhobi Ghatt. Few people had been at the venue early on. However, once the sun set, PTI sympathisers started turning up in scores with PTI’s paraphernalia.

The venue had been decorated with banners and posters. It appeared that every office bearer of the PTI had put up a poster of himself with the party chairman at the venue.

Organisers had set up a separate enclosure for women. The area had been cordoned off with tents and barbed wires.

A team of 150 women volunteers guarded the enclosure carrying sticks painted in PTI colours.

Acting in consultation with the PTI local organisation, the district administration removed the walls on one side venue to make way for women to direct walk in to the enclosure.

Several Rescue 1122 ambulances had been deployed outside the venue. At least 2,000 police officials had been deployed for protecting the venue. Snipers were deployed on rooftops of buildings nearby. The district administration had installed walkthrough gates and set up metal detectors at all four entrances of the venue. Security personnel were seen sweeping the venue with the help of sniffer dogs and the bomb disposal team.

The stage was set up near a government girls college. It was surrounded by barbered wires. One side of the stage had been demarcated for the PTI chief’s entrance. A wall of the college had been partially demolished to allow the PTI chief safe passage to the stage

The venue was fully packed when this report was filed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2016.