PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Fata chapter, on Thursday announced over 100,000 people from different parts of the tribal region would take part in the party’s Aug 14 Azadi March on Islamabad.

The announcement was made by PTI Fata leader Dr Bashir Khan during a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.

Accompanied by many PTI workers from different Fata agencies, Dr Bashir said around 0.1 million tribesmen, including internally displaced persons from North Waziristan Agency, would participate in the party’s Azadi March.

He said the PML-N had come to power in the centre and Punjab through rigged elections.

Says IDPs of North Waziristan to be among marchers

The PTI leader said party chairman Imran Khan’s demand for vote recount in four National Assembly constituencies was justified but the federal government was not ready to meet it.

He said his party was a real democratic force, which wanted to see true democracy in the country.

Dr Bashir said the PML-N-led federal government didn’t want to promote democracy in the country.

“We will march on Islamabad against the bogus government on Aug 14 and will remain peaceful. We will stay put until our demands are met,” he said.

The PTI leader, however, said if the Punjab and federal governments used force, marchers would put up a strong resistance.

He criticised the federal government for failing to properly facilitate IDPs of different Fata agencies and said displaced persons desperately needed food and other goods in camps.

Dr Bashir also demanded early rehabilitation of IDPs and claimed that if PTI came into power in the centre, it would take drastic steps for welfare of the Fata people.

ISF REGISTERS MARCHERS: The Insaf Students Federation on Thursday claimed they had registered 16,000 students to take part in the Aug 14 Azadi March.

Speaking at an Eid Milan party at the University of Peshawar here, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ISF president Suhail Afridi said there was no justification for the PML-N to continue to govern the country due to fake mandate.

He said PTI chairman Imran Khan’s struggle would culminate in doing away with the present government and introduce a system based on true democracy in the country.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2014