Imran Mukhtar & israr ahmed
Islamabad/rawalpindi - While Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has completed all its preparations for today’s rally in the capital as part of its celebrations on its foundation day, all eyes are set on Chairman Imran Khan who will announce his next plan of action for a protest movement in wake of Panama Leaks.
It is being expected that Imran Khan would announce other big rallies in different parts of the country, especially in Punjab, to press the government to meet its demands to probe offshore wealth of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. However, he has kept cards close to chest as what would be the mode of his protest movement while rejecting the commission proposed by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif the other day.
The local managers of PTI have gone into a written agreement with the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration to hold rally at F-9 Park with the assurance from the former that the participants would not go beyond the venue; otherwise the organisers would be held responsible in case of an eventuality.
Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday night himself visited the venue and examined all the preparations. An office-bearer of PTI’s Central Secretariat told The Nation that around 40,000 chairs have been placed at the venue for the participants and different enclosures have been established like media enclosures. The PTI for the first time has invited journalist through invitation cards to attend the rally.
On the other hand, the local administration and Islamabad police have separately made all security arrangements to maintain the law and order of the city while additional law-enforcers have been requisitioned to avert any untoward situation. The hospitals of the city would also remain on high alert today. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan himself will monitor the whole situation.
The PTI has tasked its leadership at provincial, regional and district level to bring more participants in the rally and different processions from all parts of the country would join the celebrations. A two-member committee of PTI’ Rawalpindi chapter is mobilising the local workers to participate the celebrations.
Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary of Rawalpindi district Sajid Ali Qureshi while talking to media men yesterday said that all arrangements have been finalised for the F-9 Park gathering. He said the workers have been advised to assemble at difference place in their respective areas.
A number of rallies of workers under the supervision of local leadership of PTI would be taken out from different vicinities of Rawalpindi city to join main public meeting to be held in F-9 Park Islamabad today (Sunday) to celebrate the 20th foundation day.
He said top leadership of PTI would give further line of action for political struggle against, what he said, present politics of looting the public exchequer by opportunists.
He said besides a big rally of PP-6 under his own control, MPA Raja Rashid Hafeez would lead a huge public gathering towards the destination of public meeting from PP-11. MPA Arif Abbasi would also join him. Similarly, he mentioned, MPA Ejaz Khan Jazi, MPA Asif Mehmood and other local leaders of PTI would guide rallies from their respective constituencies.
He said rallies from all over Punjab and other provinces would also reach F-9 Park Islamabad. “Our top leadership including Imran Khan has advised provincial and local leaders and workers of the party to attend foundation day celebrations on 24th April with peace and tranquillity,” he added.
Qureshi said PTI public meeting of Jinnah Park Islamabad would change the fate of people of the country and added that people of the country would not tolerate the politics of looting anymore. “Leaders of all parties except PTI have no trust in their own doctors and prefer to treat their ailment even of flu and headache from abroad,” he claimed, saying this is the basic difference between PTI and any other party.
Qureshi claimed that during the PTI membership campaign, some 20,000 new members have been registered. He hoped more people would join PTI as Panama Leaks have put the mask off from the faces of PML-N leaders.
On the other hand, PTI leader Syed Zahid Kazmi held a press conference. He said that the PTI city chapter has finalised all the arrangements to join the main gathering of PTI in Islamabad. He said that a rally would be taken from Rawalpindi to Islamabad with attendance of a large number of PTI workers. The press conference was attended by other PTI leaders including Sabina Javed.