D-Chowk Day: Federal capital braces for ‘tsunami’

Imran warns govt of serious repercussions if PTI workers are harassed.

ISLAMABAD:

Though inclement weather temporarily disrupted Saturday’s preparations for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s protest rally at D Chowk, the party’s chief Imran Khan remained unshaken by the setback, warning the government against thwarting his political ‘tsunami’.

Strong winds building up to a duststorm tore down banners and the blew away stage structures built on top of a container from where party leaders are expected to deliver their speeches.

In the meantime, the authorities also fine-tuned plans to secure the federal capital. The police sealed access to the sensitive Red Zone with containers. Paramilitary Rangers and Punjab Elite Force commandos will guard the zone. Similarly, a 3,500-strong police contingent will provide security for the rally.



But PTI chief Imran Khan alleged that the federal government, as well as the Punjab administration, was employing different tactics to torpedo the rally. “Peaceful protest is our democratic right. We warn the government of a serious ‘reaction’ if our workers are stopped or pressurised,” he told a news conference at his residence in Bani Gala, on the edge of the capital.



“A tsunami of our workers will reach Islamabad at all costs. Our young supporters are all fired up and nothing can deter them from reaching the rally’s venue,” he added. “I call upon my workers to remain peaceful. However, any government attempt to stop them will have dire consequences – and no one but the government will be responsible for this.”

He said that his party would spell out a charter of demands at the rally and map out a future course of action in case the demands were not met. “At this stage, our demand is not mid-term elections. We are only calling for the recounting of votes in certain constituencies,” he added.

Imran also came down hard on the government for squandering taxpayers’ money on lavish advertisements to Geo TV, which has already become controversial due to its anti-military propaganda.

“The government is using Geo TV as its ‘B-team’ and it has become difficult to say whether PTV or Geo TV is the state-owned television channel,” he said and asked the prime minister: “Why are you squandering the nation’s money for giving favours to a controversial channel? If you want to favour them, spend your own or your party’s money”

The PTI chairman said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his party were afraid of a ‘neutral umpire in the elections’. “Since coming to politics with the army’s backing, Nawaz has never won a neutral election.”

Without first investigating the rigging complaints in the previous elections, he said, it is pointless to hold another election, especially without putting in place a transparent system. He reiterated his demand for trying the returning officers and whoever was involved in manipulating the 2013 elections under Article 6 of the Constitution.

At the news conference Imran was flanked by senior PTI leaders Javed Hashmi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen and Shireen Mazari. Qureshi pointed out that his party would stage a peaceful rally and as such there would not be any sit-in.

To a question, he said that PTI’s boycott of Geo TV will continue unless the group reviews its policy and tenders an apology to the nation for maligning a key state institution.

Dr Mazari said that the Islamabad administration has reportedly put up containers to cordon off the Red Zone ahead of the PTI rally. All four entry points of the Red Zone have also been sealed. She also claimed to have received reports from Multan, Sargodha, Silakot, Mandi Bahauddin and Lahore of the police pressurising into not ferrying PTI supporters to the rally.

“Our workers in Rawalpindi have been threatened by the police,” she said. “Police and the Intelligence Bureau are going to workers’ houses and harassing them,” she continued.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2014.