Protest schedule: PTI Punjab gears up for shutting down cities

Provincial leadership says arrangements underway for Dec 8 Faisalabad protest.

LAHORE:

Considering developments in Islamabad on Tuesday and Wednesday, the government might hope to rekindle talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), but the party’s Punjab chapter is set to go with PTI chief Imran Khan’s call to shut down various cities in the Punjab.

The PTI’s Punjab wing says it is gearing up for shutting down Faisalabad on December 8, followed by Lahore on December 15 and will also respond to the country-wide call on December 18.

PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced the shutdown during the November 30 rally in Islamabad.

“There is no confusion within party ranks regarding holding talks and proceeding with the calls for the shut down. We will go ahead with the call for shut down,” PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry told The Express Tribune. “They will only give in when they feel the heat (the government),” he said.

While the PTI chairman had initially given the call for shutting down Lahore on December 4, it was later rescheduled to December 15 during the party’s meeting in Islamabad.

Chaudhry said that the first call had been made on a very short notice. “The date was extended because it was too short a notice to mobilise the city. But we have decided to go ahead with the Faisalabad protest as per the schedule,” he said.

Chaudhry said the party had always been keen on talks but the recent rounds of negotiations with the government had revealed its lack of seriousness. He said the government had made a mockery of the talks. Chaudhry said they were only using it as a bogey to secure more time.

He said the government and the PTI were not negotiating at any level. Chaudhry said the provincial chapter of the party would go ahead with the planned protests until justice was meted out. He said the government needed to show flexibility and agree to a deadline for investigation. Chaudhry said he was certain that the government would not come to the negotiating table till the PTI took to the streets. He said the party was gearing up for its December 8 protest in Faisalabad. He said the PTI had the constitutional right to protest in a civillised manner.

The provincial leaders also held a press conference following consultations with activists and officials from Sahiwal and Faisalabad. Chaudhry said the PTI had been striving to reach out to all stakeholders including union leaders, doctors, lawyers and teachers. He said the party was not resorting to coercion. “We are merely appealing to them,” Chaudhry said. He said the PTI had no conflict of interest with traders and would ensure that their businesses were not harmed. Chaudhry said the PTI had not been taken into confidence regarding the appointment of the chief election commissioner.

Meanwhile, the Lahore leadership is preparing for the December 15 shut down. District-level meetings are being convened to formulate a strategy in this regard. Speaking to The Express Tribune PTI Lahore Information Secretary Farrukh Javed Moon said the party had resolved to picket Shahdara, Qainchi, the Shalimar Chowk, The Mall, Thokar Niaz Beg and the Saggian Bridge. Moon said thoroughfares, and entry and exit points of the city would be blocked.

He said no instructions had been received from the central party command regarding the cancellation of protests.

Separately, a PTI delegation comprising of PTI Lahore president Abdul Aleem Khan, Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry and secretary-general Jehangir Tareen called on Khurram Nawaz Gandapur of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). Gandapur said the PAT would decide on how to support the PTI’s campaign following further meetings scheduled for today (Thursday). 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2014.