As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) paralysed life in Punjab’s provincial capital on Monday, Imran Khan warned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to form the proposed election inquiry commission, or else his party will make it difficult for him to govern the country.
“Mian sahib, form the proposed judicial commission to probe into rigging in the 2013 elections, or else we will make governance difficult for you,” Imran said while addressing thousands of PTI supporters at Charing Cross on Monday.
PTI workers had blocked 28 key points of Lahore since morning. Business activities in the city remained nearly suspended as majority of mainstream trading areas were closed. They burnt tyres, put up barbed wire and barricades on the city’s main roads. Few shops on main arteries were open as the shopkeepers didn’t want to take risk. However, most markets located in the periphery of the main roads were open, but with little economic activity.
Babu Sabu Interchange and Thokar Niaz Beg – two entry points of the city – were also blocked for traffic early in the day. Commuters travelling to Lahore by buses were seen lugging their bags on the roads.
According to officials, 15,000 policemen were deployed at 28 points in the city while 3,600 traffic police officials were deployed across the city to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
Expressing joy over the success of his call, the PTI chief thanked Lahoriites “for proving to Nawaz Sharif that the 2013 elections were rigged”. Imran said the entire nation has given its verdict against the rigged elections by coming out on the streets. “Lahore had witnessed massive rigging during the previous elections”, he said, “I want to thank you all for coming out on your own.”
However, the PTI chief also urged Nawaz Sharif to get back to the negotiating table. “We are a democratic party. We want to see transparent elections in our country,” he said.
During his speech Imran made several references to the ongoing talks between his party and the government. He added that if the government sat for talks with the PTI’s negotiating team, a judicial commission could be formed within the next 48 hours.
“If left with no other option, we will come out on the streets,” he said. But he insisted that the party wanted to remain peaceful. “We have always held peaceful protests. Now, this nation wants justice,” he said.
Imran also lashed out at Punjab’s former law minister and said it was Sanaullah’s ‘goons’ that had caused the clashes on December 8 between the workers of the PML-N and the PTI – an event that resulted in the death of PTI worker Haq Nawaz.
“Rana Sanaullah should be put in jail,” he added.
Taking notice of an incident earlier in the day, involving misbehaviour of some PTI supporters with television journalists, Imran asked his workers to respect the media and women. “The media should be protected. If it weren’t for the media, today we wouldn’t have been here,” he said.
“I see a new Pakistan. I see a new country. If Nawaz Sharif doesn’t return to the table, Lahoriites, be prepared. My next plan is ready,” he added.
Imran was scheduled to visit Thokar Niaz Baig, Babu Sabu and Chungi Amer Sindhu among other protest points but later cancelled the plan due to time constraints.
Govt blames PTI causing damage
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said Lahore has rejected PTI’s call for strike. He said businesses opened as usual in all important markets of the metropolis. “However, some shops were forcibly shut down by the PTI and trade was affected in areas where the protesters burnt tyres and blocked roads,” he added.
The Punjab government criticised the PTI for “damaging public property and causing inconvenience to general public” and invited Imran to take up his demand for formation of a judicial commission in parliament.
The government also announced to Rs0.5 million compensation to families of two youngsters – a 17-day-old girl and a 15-year-old boy – who allegedly died on Monday as they could not reach Children’s Hospital due to PTI’s roadblocks.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2014.
COMMENTS (19)
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@Malveros: thanks for the suggestion mate but I am already living outside of Pakistan,there are plenty of places i can go other than the neighbours. P.S. may gullu butts rule over you and your children forever and forever,trust me this is the best prayer i can offer to your kind.
@Malveros: Forget about PTI, shame on you and your upbringing for supporting an oppressive system.
Dear Sir Imran Khan: Innocents students are being killed in schools in KP and you have no care about them. All you have is plans C, D, ..Please go to KP and try to fix things over there..
@John: Good riddance from u. Our neighbour will welcome you with open arms.
@Amir Ayaz: Is this Ayaz Amir the author ? If so then shame on you for supporting gullu butts of PTI.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Rest assured Choudhary Sb,Mian Sahab is already elected for life to rule over people like you, their children and their Children. As for us, we are not going to put up with family incorporations anymore. God forbid, if Mian Sb does end up getting elected again, that would be the day when I would officially give up on this Country, its people and its government and burn the passport and say one last goodbye to this god forsaken country.
And what do you have to say for all the flood victims that the Nawaz government let die? Despite warnings of a flood coming, the government took absolutely NO measures to make it stop! Any idea about the damage that he has already brought upon the country? Accidents happen, people die. Never heard the N-league doing anything to compensate them. But here, it clearly serves THEIR purpose. Pakistan and Japan began nation building pretty much around the same time, but WHY is it that Japan is a developed nation while Pakistan is becoming hopeless day by day? Its because of incompetent governments like these that does not care about the common man. This is a revolution, and our best shot at getting to a fair election system. Criticizing is very easy, getting out to do something equally tough.
@ Sabi What happened with Lahorites on September 28 this year and what happened yesterday? Difficult for you to swallow, but its quite understandable.
It is no joke closing down Faisalabad and Lahore. You can’t do it by verbal ballistics alone. You need street power for it and the PTI has amply demonstrated, time and again, that where once it lacked this essential ingredient now it has plenty of it. Look at the way Imran just gives a call for a rally or a shutdown and his cadres and activists get to work without need for further motivation or instruction. This is political power, which once Bhutto had in West Pakistan and the Awami League and Sheikh Mujib in East Pakistan. The Sharifs have only the Punjab Police and this is a force which stands demoralised.
How does anyone make the Sharifs understand all this? As agents of Gen Zia’s reactionary rule, they not only swam with the tide but profited the most from it. Their rise to political and financial prominence is rooted in the political necessities of that dispensation. How are they to realise that the tide has turned? The ongoing movement which we are witnessing is just giving expression to long-muted, long-silenced, frustration and despair. But the frustration and despair were there, interwoven into Pakistan’s social and political fabric.
And much of these feelings arose from the politics represented by the Sharifs and the incomparable Zardari, two sides of the same coin. Vast acquisition of wealth by both the Sharifs and the PPP leadership softened by palliatives or lollipops – in the form of laptops and yellow taxis – to keep the masses distracted. The Roman Caesars held games and distributed free bread to keep the populace amused. The Sharifs distribute laptops and construct showy projects to sell themselves politically.
For those who think this state of affairs can last indefinitely there is much to learn. The old order is breaking down. This is increasingly evident although it is our privilege to recognise or ignore this reality.
Can some one please answer why PM is not ready to form a judicial commission instead very eager to let the country stay in this impasse, is there any hidden agenda behind this which he is trying to full fill, I can not see any reason of delaying a formation of judicial commission, PML N had been exposed and I think the time is very near when other parties are going to join this movement also as the stubbornness of PML N is destroying the country.
Dear Imran Khan: Enough is enough. Please show some tolerance to the weak democracy. Nothing is perfect. Please have some mercy on the poor people of Pakistan who struggle to get one-time food per day. Things will never change in Pakistan overnight. Please come through democratic process, and try to change things. Arrogance, intolerance, disrespect and impatience will lead us nowhere.. Regards, Your ex-supporter.
Why cant IK directly go to Plan Z? Subsequently against restart from Plan A1.. And continue..
To my beloved Shareef supporters. Nawaz Shareef is not PM of Lahore and Lahore is not Pakistan. Better you are awake now before its too late. Lahore cannot survive alone.
The lawless group created by PTI. will definitely swallow Imran Khan as the time passes...
Imran Khan will end up destroying Pakistan !
The game has gotten out of the control of PTI's handlers. After creating the monster of Taliban, for which nation had to pay an extremely heavy price, the powers that were (and still trying to be) have created another monster which has gone maverick. Short of starting a guerilla war, the Khan appears to be left with no other option. Raheel Shareef needs to take care of the deep state within army before all is lost.
The more Imran damage does to economy, more we need Mian Sahib's services to revive economy. Imran should stop now, otherwise we will elect Mian Sahib for life.
What happened with Lahorites on August 14 this year when they paid a damn to his call for so called azadi march.Beyond Ravi bridge it was atiny convoy of few cars and a container much less than the size of an average Baraat caravan.This man dreams to be leader of the stature of Nawaz Sharif but never knows the fact that he has no traits of being a leader.