Imran to visit 25 cities on campaign trail

Party issues travel log, revealing his will concentrate on Punjab

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday released election campaign travel log of party supremo Imran Khan that shows he would be making several campaign stops at 25 different cities of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Sindh in next 21 days.

In last three weeks of the campaign for general elections scheduled to be held on July 25, PTI chairman will be focusing more on real battlefield, Punjab, where he would spend 11 days addressing public rallies at 14 different cities.

It is followed by K-P where Khan will be spending five days addressing public gatherings in eight different cities.

Out of five days campaign scheduled for Sindh, Khan would spend three days in Karachi and two in interior Sindh and would address supporters there. Meanwhile the campaign would conclude with a ‘massive rally’ in the federal capital, Islamabad on July 23.
However, no trip has so far been scheduled for Balochistan and tribal areas in K-P formerly known as Federal Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata).

Senior PTI leader Asad Umar told The Express Tribune that it’s the preliminary campaign schedule of party chief and certainly at a later stage dates and venues for rallies in tribal areas and Balochistan would be announced. He said because of security reasons previously decided venues of rallies in these areas have been changed and new dates will be announced soon.

“Certainly, Imran Khan would visit Balochistan and tribal areas in K-P. While more cities of Sindh would also be included in the schedule after final decision,” Umar informed this reporter.

In Punjab, PTI chairman would visit and address a public gathering in Sargodha on Monday (today), in Jhelum and Gujarat on July 7, in Rahim Yar Khan on July 11, in Gujranwala and Kasur on July 12, in Rawalpindi on July 13, in Sialkot and Faisalabad on July 15, and in Mianwali on July 16.

He would spend July 18 and 19 in Lahore and address several gatherings there, while public rally in Bahawalpur and Multan would be held on July 20.

On July 21, Imran Khan would again visit Lahore and address people at nine different regions.

In K-P, Khan would address rallies in Swabi and Charsadda on July 5, in Swat on July 6, in Haripur and Abbottabad on July 8, two separate rallies in Mardan and Peshawar on July 14, and in Bannu on July 16.

In Sindh, the PTI chairman would be on a two-day visit of Karachi on July 3 and 4, in Umerkot, Tharparkar and other cities of interior Sindh on July 9 and 10. In addition to that Khan would be among Karachiities again on July 22.

On July 23, the PTI will conclude its extensive election campaign with rallies at Islamabad.

A statement issued by the party’s central media department says that party leadership of all above cities has been directed to make necessary preparations for Imran Khan’s election campaign.

PM, FM from Islamabad

Senior PTI leader Asad Umar Sunday predicted that the next Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the country would be elected from Islamabad.

PTI chief Imran Khan will be contesting next general elections from Islamabad’s NA-53, while Asad Umar – who in recent past declared on a couple of occasions by Khan himself as PTI’s shadow finance minister – from NA-54 (Islamabad).

He made the prediction while addressing a press conference here at National Press Club where Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid District President Rizwan Sadiq announced he will support PTI candidates from all three national assembly constituencies of the city.

Senior trade community leader from the capital Ajmal Baloch also announced joining PTI on the occasion, giving an end to his 30-year long association with the PML-N.

Umar made the statement when he was asked about unending water crisis in the city and other civic issues in Islamabad faced since long. “Next PM and Finance Minister will be elected from Islamabad and we would be in a much better position to resolve all the challenges the country’s federal capital has been facing for decades,” he said.