LAHORE -  In an effort to gather all the likeminded opposition political forces at Faisalabad show to make it an event of a grand opposition, PTI has delayed its demonstration at the ‘Manchester’ of Pakistan for two days.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan had announced at D-Chowk on May 11 to hold another demonstration in Faisalabad on May 23 against the alleged rigging.
However, the demonstration has been delayed for two days to invite all the likeminded opposition parties and others and give them time to make arrangements for participating in the PTI demonstration. PTI will now hold the demonstration in Faisalabad, known as Manchester of Pakistan, on May 25.
A senior PTI leader told The Nation on Wednesday that the party high command, rescheduling the Faisalabad show from May 23 to May 25, would invite all the likeminded political forces, especially from the opposition, to their public meeting to make it the first event of grand opposition.
He said the party leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and President Javed Hashmi who were making key efforts to form a PTI-led grand opposition alliance, would contact the likeminded political parties to invite them to the Faisalabad show on May 25. Moreover, Imran Khan would also personally contact some party heads in this regard.
PTI Punjab General Secretary Dr Yasmin Rashid, when contacted, said the party would welcome the leaders of other political parties, as almost all the political forces had agreed with PTI on electoral reforms without which transparent polls were not possible and without fair elections true democracy could not be established.
She said the party had first decided to hold a rally at Faisalabad against the rigging on May 23, but the idea was dropped in a bid to save the citizens from movement difficulties on a working day. Yasmin added the party plan against the rigging was rescheduled by the top leadership for May 25, anticipating the participation of many likeminded political forces. The PTI leader said it had also been decided by the senior party leadership to hold a demonstration against the rigging in Faisalabad like that at D-Chowk.
Seemal Kamran, PML-Q Punjab spokesperson, when called, said the PTI hadn’t so far invited her party leadership to the Faisalabad rally. She made it clear that the matter was not on the agenda of PTI-PML-Q meeting in Islamabad. But it’s not an issue as the PTI could invite her party leaders in next few days.
She rejected the reports concerning announcement of Punjab PML-Q President Ch Pervaiz Elahi to participate in the PTI’s Faisalabad show on May 25.