Party leadership pledges to continue protest in Islamabad until Imran’s release and other demands are accepted.  Bushra Bibi warns party lawmakers to bring maximum protesters at venue or face action.

ISLAMABAD  -  The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finalised plan for na­tionwide protests on Novem­ber 24 against the 26th con­stitutional amendment and for the release of its founder Imran Khan from jail.

The party has announced to storming Islamabad “from all directions” with an indefinite sit-in at D-Chowk in the Red Zone of the capital city.

The PTI leadership seems determined to reach Islam­abad at any cost as significant responsibilities have been as­signed to the party’s leader­ship across the country.

Sources indicate that the protest will begin with region­al leadership organizing mass demonstrations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad until the con­voys from other provinces arrive. Islamabad and Rawal­pindi chapters of the party have been especially directed to make arrangements for the convoys from other cities. The biggest convoy is expected to reach from Khyber-Pakh­tunkhwa province where the party has its government after the February 8 polls.

PTI has assigned separate routes for each provincial con­voy, with the final destination being Islamabad. The leader­ship is yet to decide on the ex­act location of the sit-in once they reach the capital.

The party has made it clear that the sit-in will continue in­definitely and until the party’s demands including release of Imran Khan and other party work­ers is met.

According to sources, the par­ty leadership has instructed its members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Provincial Assembly (MPAs) to bear the travel expenses of their constituents, ensuring that party workers from across the coun­try reach the protest in Islamabad.

In case of arrests of party leader­ship, a backup plan (Plan B) has also been chalked out and second tier leadership will take over the leader­ship roles for any detained officials.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, issued a stern mes­sage to party members ahead of the planned protest and made it clear that any member of the National As­sembly or party official who fails to attend the demonstration will have no affiliation with PTI.

The statement came after a meet­ing of PTI members in Peshawar, which saw the participation of mem­bers from southern districts, along with Bashra Bibi, who addressed the gathering.

In her remarks, she reiterated the message from her husband, Imran Khan, urging the party to take to the streets on 24th November in de­fence of the constitution, rule of law, and parliamentary supremacy.

Meanwhile, K-P Advisor on Infor­mation Barrister Saif declared that the November 24 protest would pro­ceed as planned, rejecting any spec­ulation about a deal with the es­tablishment. “This is the time for resistance. PTI’s founder has given a clear directive that demands must be met,” he asserted during a press briefing.

In a related development, the PTI has nominated Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Salman Akram Raja and Omer Ayub Khan as focal persons of par­ty’s founding chairman Imran Khan ahead of the planned October 24 protest march on federal capital Is­lamabad.

Firdaus Shamim Naqvi, Addition­al Secretary General of the party, issued a notification to this effect on Sunday. “On the instructions of founding Chairman PTI following are appointed as focal persons to Imran Khan with immediate effect,” read the notification.

In the meantime, the law-enforce­ment agencies have also launched a crackdown on party leaders and workers. Several workers have been arrested in multiple raids in Rawal­pindi, Islamabad and Lahore during the last few days.

On the other hand, Governor Khy­ber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kun­di has lambasted the provincial gov­ernment’s focus on rallies rather than governance, arguing that such protests will not lead to the release of PTI’s founder.