‘PTI long march to choke country’s main arteries'

Fawad claims millions will march on Islamabad peacefully

ISLAMABAD:

As the PTI continues to up the ante against the coalition government, the party is rolling up its sleeves to throw the latter out of gear by choking major cities and arteries leading up to the federal capital – the final battleground where Imran Khan seeks to nail his colours to the mast.

The PTI has finalised its plan and strategies to lead out its anti-government long march and to draw a deluge of protestors from across the country to Islamabad and block the routes leading to and from the capital, sources privy to the plans said.

“As soon as the call for the long march is announced, various cities will be jammed,” the sources shared and added the points of convergence have also been determined for the demonstrators to bring the city to halt.

Meanwhile, the party leaders who would be leading the caravans have been instructed to escape potential arrests. A backup plan will be put in place in the event of arrests.

“In case the key leaders are arrested, a stand-in leadership will fill in for the central leadership to issue guidelines to the workers in the long march and a call will be given to intensify protest against the forced arrests,” sources revealed.

‘Millions to march peacefully’

However, PTI’s s senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry told The Express Tribune that the long march will remain peaceful.

“It will be a peaceful protest by millions of people,” he said, emphasising PTI protests have been largely peaceful till today.

“Millions of people came out to show solidarity with PTI and not even a branch of a tree is damaged, the protest will be in the same mode,” the PTI leader said, referring to the party's recent public gatherings.

In a prelude to his ‘Azadi March’ to Islamabad, the former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan addressed a mammoth public gathering in Abbottabad on Sunday, marking the beginning of his anti-government wrath.

On Friday, the PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter directed its leaders to make all arrangements for the upcoming five public meetings of former prime minister Imran Khan in different districts of the province and ‘Azadi March’ towards Islamabad.

According to the PTI’s schedule, the Abbottabad rally will be followed by one in Mardan on May 13. Khan will then address a public meeting in Swabi on May 16 and in Kohat on May 17 while the fifth such rally would be held in Mardan on May 20.

It may be noted here that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had on Saturday asked Imran Khan to ensure that PTI's long march would not turn violent, warning that the government won't allow an anarchy-like situation to persist in the country.

The interior minister lashed out at the PTI chairman and his predecessor Sheikh Rashid for "inciting" and "misleading" the public against the government.