En route to capital: PTI workers rush towards Attock

Protests held across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

SWABI/ KOHAT/ PESHAWAR: Activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hurriedly cancelled the party convention on Friday before rushing towards Islamabad on the call of their party chief Imran Khan.

“We received a call from the (party’s) chairman and we have even cancelled our convention. We are on our way towards Attock,” MPA Fazal Elahi told The Express Tribune, adding that a fresh strategy would be devised after party workers gathered at the northwestern district.

The MPA maintained that all members of the provincial assembly and district and town councils have also changed their schedule upon receiving word from Bani Gala.

He said that workers from the northern, central and southern districts were on their way towards a previously set location.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Senior Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai stated that people from Swabi, Malakand, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and others areas were told to stop at Swabi interchange.

“We have collectively decided to … stop at the interchange and once party members and leadership reaches Swabi, the convoy will move towards the federal capital,” Tarakai said.

Moreover, PTI workers staged a demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club on the party chief’s instructions for holding a country-wide protest against arrests of party workers in the federal capital.



Provincial lawmaker Fazal Elahi was accompanied by regional office-bearers and party workers, who shouted slogans against the federal government.

Addressing the protesters, Elahi said that PML-N proved that democracy did not exist in the country, adding that no pressure tactic could make party workers stay away from joining the November 2 protest.

Meanwhile, clashes took place between PTI and PML-N workers in Kohat as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Kohat on Friday and addressed a gathering there.

A rally was held against the federal government and was led by Senator Shibli Faraz, MNA Sheheryar Afridi and MPA Ziaullah Bangash. PTI workers tore up the PM’s posters displayed to welcome him.

Afridi told media persons that they were protesting in response to the arrest and torture of their colleagues in the federal capital. PTI workers also staged a demonstration in Swabi.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.