Inqilab: Over 700 PAT vehicles from Peshawar, Hazara head to Islamabad

PAT workers start leaving for the federal capital amid roadblocks to restrict their movement to Model Town, Lahore.

PESHAWAR/ABBOTTABAD:

A convoy of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), led by its provincial coordinator, left for Islamabad from Peshawar with over 150 vehicles carrying men, women and children to participate in the Inqilab March. Hundreds of workers from Hazara Division have also left for the federal capital.

The Inqilab March was announced by PAT chief Tahirul Qadri during an address at his Model Town residence in Lahore in August. Qadri said his march for “revolution” would take place on the same day as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Azadi March, on August 14.

Soon after the announcement, PAT workers started leaving for the federal capital amid roadblocks to restrict their movement to Model Town, Lahore.

“We have entered Punjab and are following the directions of our chief,” said Imran Mohmand, the party’s Peshawar district spokesman. The provincial coordinator, Sahibzada Abdul Rasheed, has been leading the convoy, Mohmand told The Express Tribune over the phone. The convoy of over 150 passenger vehicles will reach the federal capital and join the PAT procession there, he added.

“We have all the necessary items, including water, food and medicines, and will not leave the federal capital until our demands are addressed,” said Mohmand.

PAT workers from DI Khan and Lakki Marwat also reached Peshawar around 9am and started their journey towards Islamabad on Friday.

Some workers from Hazara had reached Lahore after crossing into Punjab through Jhari Kass on August 13.

According to PAT Mansehra chapter’s senior vice president Ehtsham Khan, since PTI’s processions were leaving Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on August 14, PAT’s leadership decided to ask its provincial workers to reach Islamabad on August 15 instead.

Khan added a 200-vehicle caravan from Mansehra joined the Abbottabad procession led by PAT K-P vice president Naseer Khan Jadoon on Friday. A convoy from Haripur also joined in.

As PAT’s chief has publicly supported the cause of the Hazara province, Khan said, the Tehreek Suba Hazara Party Baba Haider Zaman has also agreed to join with hundreds of supporters from Hazara.

Roughly 600 vehicles from Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur will merge into one procession near Hasan Abdal and enter Islamabad together.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th,2014.