PTI finalises long march schedule

Marchers, stopping at intervals, will reach Islamabad in 7 days

ISLAMABAD:

The preparations for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march to up the ante against the government and squeeze out a date for snap polls are in full swing as party chief Imran Khan finalises the strategy for his movement.

The march will commence from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk on Friday and will reach Rawat by November 3, where the leadership will decide on the next course of action. The first priority of the party would be to hold a public rally, whereas the second priority would be to turn the protest into a sit-in.

Revealing the itinerary, PTI leader Asad Umar has said that the march will reach Islamabad on November 4.

On behalf of the former ruling party, an application has also been submitted to the deputy commissioner of Islamabad for a rally and sit-in.

The former prime minister informed the elected representatives, including central and provincial officials about the schedule of the march.

He will stay in Lahore until the start of the march, which will commence after Friday prayers.

They will stop at Shahdara Interchange, where the party chief will address his supporters. Their next step will be in Gujranwala, from where they will head towards Gujrat on Sunday morning.

In Gujrat, Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi will welcome the participants of the march. Later, they will stop at Sarai Alamgir between Gujrat and Jhelum and will head towards Jhelum on Monday morning, where PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry will host the participants.

On Tuesday, Imran will encamp at Rawal, reaching through Gujar Khan, where he will address his supporters at night. It is here that the top leadership of the party will formulate the final strategy for advancing towards the federal capital.

While party leaders and allies would be the hosts for the march in its initial stages, as soon as they enter the limits of Islamabad, they will be confronted with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, so they will decide on their strategy wisely.

Sources say that convoys from northern and southern Punjab, including Faisalabad, Sargodha, Chakwal, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Leh, will participate in the long march at Rawat. From here, the marchers are expected to be directed towards Faizabad, the confluence of the twin cities.

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) are also planning on moving their caravans towards Islamabad.

Sources say that the strategy of intervals will be adopted to prevent fatigue, and the marchers will reach Islamabad within an estimated seven days.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Asad announced the itinerary of the “Haqeeqi Azadi March”.

He said that the march will commence on Friday from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk and move onto the Azadi Chowk via the Ferozepur Road through Ichhra, Mozang and Data Darbar.

“The journey to Islamabad will start on the GT road from the next day,” he tweeted.

He said that Imran and his supporters would reach the capital on November 4 after passing through Muridke, Kamonki, Gujranwala, Daska, Sialkot, Sambaryal, Wazirabad, Gujarat, Lala Musa, Kharian, Jhelum, Gujar Khan and Rawalpindi.