RAWALPINDI: After getting permission from the government to celebrate its 20th foundation day at Fatima Jinnah Park in the federal capital, PTI has now declared that the event will be a family festival and not a public meeting.

A seven-member committee, which will be led by Asad Umer, has also been formed to make arrangements for the event. Other members of the committee are Zahid Hussain Kazmi, Faisal Javed, Aon Chaudhry, Ali Awan, Dr Shahzad Waseem and Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban.

Zahid Hussein Kazmi, a PTI leader and member of the organising committee for the festival, said the event in Fatima Jinnnah Park will be “the largest in the history of the country”.

“Only Imran Khan will speak on the occasion and other party leaders will not deliver speeches,” he said.

Each local MPA expected to bring 5,000 strong rally to event, all activists to bring 500 people each

The party has invited famous artists to perform at the festival, Mr Kazmi said.

“A documentary showing PTI’s struggle over the last 20 years will be screened, national songs will be sung and a firework show will also be put on,” he said.

The PTI leader added that special women’s teams have been formed which will make door-to-door visits from Monday onwards to tell people about the festival.

Leaders of the Imran Khan-led party in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have started inviting workers and supporters to participate in the celebratory family festival.

The party has set a target of hosting 300,000 to 500,000 people at Fatima Jinnah Park.

“Each party activist from the 256 union councils of the twin cities will have to bring at least 500 people to the park on April 24”, a senior leader of the party told Dawn.

He added that PTI MPAs from Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been asked to bring 5,000 people including women and children to the event.

The party wanted people to know the festival was a family event and that there will be no agitation like in the 2014 sit-ins, he said.

“Union council leaders have been asked to make arrangements for motorbike rallies and private vehicles. As many as 1,000 cars and 800 motorbikes have already been arranged to facilitate young workers and supporters,” he said.

About the targets set for union council leaders, Mr Kazmi said that Imran Khan will be given a progress report in this regard from local leaders at a meeting on April 19 in Bani Gala and that each MPA will be bringing in a rally of his own to the event.

The party is yet to make a clear statement on its plans to stage a sit-in at Raiwind, outside the Sharif family’s residence, for which they did not manage to secure political favour or support from opposition parties.

“Imran Khan will announce the party’s policy and future plans for a sit-in at Rawind,” Mr Kazmi said.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2016