ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sunday resolved that the ‘Azadi March’ will take place at all costs, warning the government that any effort to arrest party chairman Imran Khan will be resisted tooth and nail.
“PTI’s Core Committee that met today resolved that the Azadi March will take place at any cost and warned the government of dire consequences if it tried to arrest Imran Khan or take him into ‘safe custody’, a statement issued here by the party said.
It said that the Core Committee said that PTI would demand Nawaz Sharif’s family pay compensation to all those whose livelihood was impacted by the barriers and impediments placed by Sharif government, including the poor container owners, to stop PTI from exercising its democratic right to protest peacefully.
The central decision making body of the party demanded that all containers must be removed immediately and petrol stations opened. It also demanded the Punjab government immediately implement the LHC order for release of impounded motorcycles.
The party committee sent a clear message to the workers that they must make it to Islamabad at all costs and come prepared with basic supplies. It resolved that there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that PTI workers and leaders will come to Islamabad even if they have to walk the distance.
“There will be no compromise on Azadi March. Tomorrow Chairman will reveal the planned massive rigging that took place in May 2013 elections.” The Core Committee also resolved that if anything happened in which democracy was derailed Nawaz Sharif and his government will be solely responsible. It offered fateha for the two PTI office bearers murdered in Karachi.
Later talking to the media, senior PTI leader Javed Hashmi said that Khan’s arrest would be the biggest blunder of the Nawaz government. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be responsible in case of derailment of democracy.
PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari said that her party would strongly resist any attempt by the government to detain Imran Khan. She demanded the government resume fuel supply and remove containers. No container, she said, can stop PTI’s workers from coming to Islamabad. “Nawaz Sharf will have to resign,” she said.