RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will attend worker conventions and a public meeting in the garrison city from Oct 27 to warm up his supporters for the proposed lockdown of the federal capital on Nov 2.

The PTI has planned three worker conventions on Oct 27 while Imran Khan would also attend a public meeting to be arranged by Awami Muslim League (AML) at Lal Haveli on Oct 28.

AML President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told Dawn that Imran Khan and he would lead a rally from Lal Haveli to Faizabad on Oct 28.

“After the public meeting, we will bring out a rally from Lal Haveli to Faizabad where Imran Khan will announce the future plan of the movement against the government,” he said.

Sheikh Rashid said his party had informed the local administration and the police about the proposed public meeting and rally.


PTI chief, Sheikh Rashid to lead rally from Lal Haveli to Faizabad on Oct 28 where Imran will announce plan for anti-govt movement


On the other hand, a PTI local leader said the party wanted to warm up its workers for the November 2 protest. “Though nobody knows about the plan and even Imran Khan himself is not clear, he has just asked the workers to prepare for a big show,” he said.

“The PTI leadership wanted to give a message to the workers that the November 2 siege of Islamabad is prepared with the help of ‘well-wishers’ of the party.”

He added that it was a common perception among the workers that the final decision about the November 2 siege of Islamabad would be made after the Supreme Court hearing of the Panamagate petitions on November 1.

When contacted, PTI Punjab North President Amir Kiani said Imran Khan would visit the garrison city from October 27 to separately meet party workers and supporters in the cantonment, city areas and at the tehsil level.

He confirmed that Imran Khan would attend the public meeting at Lal Haveli on October 28. However, he said the PTI was yet to hold discussions with Sheikh Rashid about the public gathering.

He said there was no confusion among the workers as far as the date of the lockdown of the capital was concerned. He said the public meetings and conventions were being arranged to warm up the workers and supporters for the Nov 2 protest.

On the other hand, the local administration has not given permission to Sheikh Rashid for holding the public meeting and rally. “Sheikh Rashid or the PTI have not submitted applications to the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) seeking permissions for the rally and the public meeting,” District Coordination Officer (DCO) Talat Mehmood Gondal told Dawn.

He said it would be illegal if any political party holds a rally without taking permission. “There is a need to submit an application to the CDGR for the permission.”

The DCO also said no directives had been received from the provincial government to stop the workers of political parties or close the roads towards Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the citizens expressed resentment about the possible clash between the PTI and the PML-N government.

“There is no logic to close roads creating hardship for office goers and students. We are fed up with the politics of dharna and rallies,” said Mohammad Shahzad, a government official working at the Pakistan Secretariat in Islamabad.

Irfan Ahmed, a student of MBA at the Quaid-i-Azam University, said there was uncertainty among the citizens. “My family is worried about PTI’s plan to close Islamabad and have asked me not to go out.”

He said in 2014 Imran Khan had staged the sit-in against the alleged rigging in the 2013 elections and now he was planning to close the capital against alleged corruption of the government.

“First of all, he should clear his mind whether he considers the government illegal or corrupt,” he said.

Sharjeel Mir, the traders’ representative, added that traders in the city had been facing financial crises for over three years and the new episode of sit-in and closer of markets and roads would create more troubles for them.

He said there was a need to end the politics of agitation. Let the people choose their representatives. He said the government should be allowed to complete its term and after that political parties should highlight its corruption so the people would not elect the ruling party again.

Published in Dawn October 24th, 2016

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