LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is all set to put up its power show at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday (today).

PTI leaders say rally participants will start arriving at the venue before noon, while the proceedings will begin at around 5pm and the main speaker of the rally, PTI Chief Imran Khan, will speak at around 7pm.

At the venue, the PTI has installed a big stage, completed seating arrangement as well as lighting and music system. PTI’s youth wing will also take over the security of the venue earlier in the day.

In order to set the tone for party’s power show, the PTI Lahore took out a “Go Nawaz, go” procession from the Liberty Roundabout to Minar-i-Pakistan.

A large number of participants, including women, party ticket-holders and office-bearers, continued chanting slogans “Go Nawaz, go” and “Kaun bachaey ga Pakistan – Imran Khan”.

Speaking to the participants, PTI Lahore President Aleem Khan said Sept 28 would become a historic day, when the PTI would do its hat-trick of staging the biggest-ever public gatherings in the country. He said the Lahorites would convey the message to the government their mandate was and would remain with the PTI.

Mr Khan said the Pakistan Resolution was passed at this venue on March 23, 1940, and now people would pass a “Naya Pakistan Resolution” on Sept 28.

He said Minar-i-Pakistan was the venue where two years ago Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif used to sit and protest loadshedding. He said the PTI would arrange a tent and hand-fans for him if the chief minister intended to protest against power losses. He said a tsunami of protesters would be there to protest against loadshedding.

Mr Khan said the PTI had held a series of meetings with the administration but police and other institutions were not cooperating with the party on the instructions of the government. He said the administration was not giving proper parking spaces to participants as it wanted them to park their vehicles far away and walk for an hour to arrive the venue.

He said police were also talking of the threat of terrorist activity but reporters had seen that the PTI had always properly managed its public gatherings. He demanded that the traffic police also give alternative route plans to the general public on Sunday as it had done for the PML-N.

Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed said people waited for PTI public gatherings like festivals. He said Lahorites along with their families would participate in the PTI show .

Mr Rasheed warned the administration if it tried to create problems for the participants and the rally itself, it would be creating a massive problem for itself. He said PTI workers and supporters could not be harassed by crackdowns, baton charge and other tactics.

Mr Rasheed said every person of the ruling family was facing “Go Nawaz, go” slogans wherever they went.

PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry visited Minar-i-Pakistan and reviewed the arrangements. Mr Chaudhry says he will himself welcome the participants at Shahdra Morr.

He also spoke to party workers at Minar-i-Pakistan and Lalik Chowk. He said Pakistan would witness a massive protest meeting on Sunday as people had risen to the occasion. He said oppressed people were coming to participate in the rally on their own to express their sentiments that they wanted to get rid of the government. He said the fake-mandated government would not be able to continue anymore.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2014