Overlooking preparations: PTI chief arrives in Lahore today

Party expresses concerns over actions of PML-N leaders

LAHORE: As the Raiwind rally draws near, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is making all-out efforts to mobilise its workers for the much-hyped, anti-government protest with Imran Khan also likely reach Lahore today (Monday) to monitor preparations.

With political temperatures soaring, the PTI chief will hold back-to-back meetings with the party’s leadership to jot down details of the protest being held under its renewed accountability movement. Imran’s trip to Lahore comes after a similar one to Karachi over the weekend.

The local tier of the party has already formulated strategies for projection as well as mobilisation of workers. Insiders claim as many as 200,000 people are expected to come out on September 30 with focus of the mobilisation being central Punjab, specifically Lahore.

While party camps will be set up across Lahore to ‘educate’ people about the rally, the PTI’s youth wing has also been asked to take their preparations up a notch.

The party is also reaching out to authorities to ensure their ‘peaceful’ event is not marred by violence in the wake of ‘threats’ by the PML-N leaders and supporters. A letter has been written by PTI’s Farrukh Habib to Punjab Chief Secretary Capt (retd) Zahid Saeed on apprehensions about possible disruption of the party’s Raiwind rally.

It calls on the chief secretary to take firm measures to ‘desist PML-N office-bearers from taking any illegal and unconstitutional actions’.

The PTI’s letter states that ‘a militant group has been created by the name of Nawaz Janisar Force, members of which have been recruited and trained in various parts of Punjab under the supervision of PML-N leaders to create law and order situation’.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2016.