PTI Chairman demands date for early elections before holding talks n Says no one hands freedom on a plate n Do not treat us like animals, Imran asks govt officials PTI to resume long march from Ferozewala today Fawad says Imran’s life is in danger therefore ‘we are trying to travel during the day’.

FEROZEWALA/LAHORE     -   Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday hailed the ‘unprecedented number’ of people coming out for his party’s long march towards Islamabad.

“Pakistan will change forever with the nation making clear it will not accept any individual or institution being above law,” he tweeted, adding that this is what he had set out to achieve in creating the PTI 26 years ago.

In a late night tweet, Imran demanded date for early elections in the country before dialogue with the federal government. “For all those spreading rumours about my mtg in Lahore, the reason we returned was bec Lahore was closer & we had already decided not move at night. The only demand I have had for 6 mths is date for early fair & free elections. That will be the ONLY demand if talks are to be held.”

Also, PTI Chairman Imran Khan took an oath from his supporters to always abide by the Constitution as the party’s long march reached Ferozewala on Saturday. “No one hands freedom on a plate. You have to struggle for it,” he told the charged crowd before he and other PTI leaders raised their hands to take an oath.

Earlier, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry announced that the second day of the party’s long march has come to an end in Ferozewala and it will resume from Muridke at 11am Tuesday (today).

Imran Khan on Saturday also delivered another hard-hitting speech aimed at the establishment and said that “we are people and not sheep” as he kicked off day 2 of the long march from Lahore’s Shahdara area.

Addressing PTI supporters soon after reaching the container to lead the march, the former premier claimed that “incidents of torturing people and threats have increased ever since the military officials, named by Azam Swati, have come into power in Islamabad”. He highlighted that first they “tortured” PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, then journalist Jameel Farooqi and then “75-year-old Senator Azam Swati”.

“Do not treat us like animals,” he warned referring to senior officials. “First you believed Nawaz Sharif was a thief, now he is pure,” he added. He also questioned if they could not see the “thieves” who were pardoned for stealing Rs 11,000 billion. “Do you not see the oppression, the violation of fundamental rights?” he asked.

Meanwhile, former Sindh governor and PTI leader Imran Ismail said the party does not want any negotiations now but only new elections to be announced. “Now the decision has to be made by the people and it has to be done in this country,” he tweeted.

On the second day of PTI’s protest against the federal government, Chairman Imran Khan resumed his Azadi March from Shahdara where it ended Friday night.

After the commencement of the long march on Friday from liberty, as the long march reached Data Darbar Imran Khan rushed back to his residence at Zaman Park. On Saturday he again led the crowd from Shadara and continued his journey towards country’s capital.

Before Imran departure for Shahdara from his residence, Fawad Chaudhary and Musarat Cheema briefed the media representatives outside Imran khan’s residence at Zaman Park about party plan of action in context to Azadi March.

Talking about the ‘danger’ posed to Imran khan’s life, Fawad said, Imran Khan’s life is in danger and we are trying our best to travel during the day and reaching our selected points on time, he informed.

“The plan was to finish the first day of Azadi at Shahdara after starting it from Liberty Chowk, but it could not go ahead due to the public’s participation in such unexpected numbers that’s the long march ended at the shrine of Hazrat Data Ali Hajveri,” Fawad Ch said.

He further said, women participated with their children at midnight, families showed love for our cause and kick started the movement. Long March is a poor man’s long march, thousands of people who have nothing to do with politics have come out, Fawad claimed.

People are protesting systematically because of PTI, otherwise there will be no peaceful march on the issues related to inflation and salaried class, he claimed.

After reaching the reception camp at Shahdara, Imran Khan appeared on top of the container to respond to the workers’ slogans by waving his hand. The participants of the long march gave warm welcome and showered flower petals on Imran Khan. 

Compared to Friday, there was a significant increase in number of the participants of Azadi March on Saturday. After the emotional speech delivered by ex-premier PTI’s long march proceeded on its designated GT towards Islamabad. Reception camps were set up by workers from Shahdara to Ferozewala. After Shahdara, a reception camp was set up at Ferozewala. Various protest rallies from the city and surroundings areas joined the long march.