PTI raring to show its street power today

Imran Khan says his party will give messages both to PM Nawaz and his Indian counterpart

LAHORE/PESHAWAR: In the backdrop of Indian war hysteria and its recent shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – which is all set to stage a rally today near the premier’s family residence at Raiwind – has realigned focus of its march, to give also ‘a message to Indian premier’.

“Today our party’s protest will give out two messages, one directed at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the other to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi,” PTI chief Imran Khan said on Thursday.



He was talking to media ahead of his party’s much-trumpeted campaign that seeks accountability of PM Nawaz Sharif and his family members in the wake of the Panama Papers.

Imran criticised the recent Indian aggression which resulted in the death of two Pakistani soldiers and said the nation stands united, especially on the issue of Kashmir.

He continued to press on for the legitimacy of his protest despite the Pakistan-India tensions, taking the opportunity to criticise the government for its stance on India. “We will give a message to Narendra Modi, one which Nawaz Sharif has failed to deliver yet” he said.

Expressing reservations over ‘tactics’ being employed by the government to sabotage their protest, Imran said terrorism threat alerts were issued whenever he took up the issue of corruption.

Just like Wednesday, when Imran led a whirlwind rally of the city addressing hundreds of workers at ten different points, the PTI chief on Friday also led convoys that made their way to Adda plot, the venue of the PTI’s Raiwind march.



Inspired by the impressive turnout of his party workers at the ‘mini jalsa’, Imran Khan, who also inspected arrangements of the rally, addressed a charged crowd. Flanked by the party’s top leadership from across the country, he said it was encouraging to see the turnout.

Extending his invitation to all segments of society, including the protesting farmers who had staged a protest on Mall road this week, Imran called on all political workers to attend the march.

Imran also reached out to workers of the ruling PML-N, against whom the protest is being staged in Raiwind, saying they were well aware of the ‘corruption’ their leaders were guilty of.

Arrangements for the rally

As the Lahore High Court has allowed the PTI to hold its Friday rally and directed the Punjab government to ensure foolproof security to the protesters, the provincial government has deputed as many as 7, 500 policemen for security.

After a series of meetings a 39-point code of conduct was also agreed upon between DCO Lahore and the PTI that focuses on maintaining law and order and avoiding any actions to provoke or create unrest.

The district government as well as city traffic police has also drawn up a traffic plan, which has provided as many as 4 alternative routes for the venue with 5 roads close to Adda plot being closed for traffic. Educational institutions in and around the area are to remain closed today in anticipation of the Raiwind rally with public hospitals in the city on alert.



Disunity in K-P

Meanwhile, the PTI leaders from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are digging hard to unite the party workers for the march as the first train from Peshawar left for Lahore almost vacant on Thursday.

The first Awami Express train left Peshawar under the leadership of district Peshawar Naib Nazim Qasim Ali Shah. However, by its departure at 9am only four PTI members had reached the station.

A party member, wishing not to named, said there is a big question mark over the unity among the leaders and party workers, adding that most of the party leaders and their supporters have decided to reach Raiwind using their own transport.

However, another PTI lawmaker, Arif Yousif said they would lead caravan of workers from Peshawar and join the Raiwind march by a train at 8:30pm on Thursday. “The workers from district Peshawar will be gathered at Cannt Railway Station and the train will leave from station on 8:30,” he said.

Another PTI member said the Women Wing of the party was almost ignored and that there would be literally no participation of the K-P women in the march. “The responsibility for making arrangement for women was given to the chief minister but he failed to meet the traveling arrangements,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2016.