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.