PTI changes date of Islamabad lockdown to Nov 2

Imran Khan says date changed as Supreme Court Bar Association elections are scheduled for Oct 31

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Monday his party will shut the federal capital on November 2 instead of the previously announced date of October 30.

نومبر دوپہر2 بجے سے اسلام آباد کو بند کرنا شروع کریں گے، عمران خان

— Tehreek-e-Insaf (@InsafPK) October 17, 2016

“After lengthy deliberations it has now finally decided that we will move ahead with our plan to lock Islamabad down on November 2,” Imran told reporters after a party meeting in Islamabad. “We have changed the date as the Supreme Court Bar Association’s elections are scheduled on Oct 31."



Hitting out at the prime minister over his ‘corruption’ and ‘stolen money’ as revealed in the Panama Papers, the PTI chairman invited people ‘suppressed by corruption’ from across the country to take a stand and join the protest in Islamabad.

Imran on Sept 30's 'Raiwind March' gave the prime minister time till Muharram to “either present himself for accountability or allow state institutions to take action against him”, failing which the PTI will bring the federal capital to a standstill”.

“Six months have gone past but a 'criminal' continues to rule this country,” the cricketer-turned-politician claimed in a veiled reference to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He lamented there had been no serious investigations into the Panama Papers leaks.



The PTI leader warned the prime minister that his party was fully prepared to counter any obstruction that the government might pose in way of the protesters. “We wrote to all opposition parties, asking them to join the protest; however, it seems none of them had an interest in joining the campaign against corruption.”

He also admitted that the people of the capital city may have to face inconvenience during the protest, but urged them to render “this sacrifice to be able to bring about a change”.