LAHORE, Jan 12: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf on Saturday joined a demonstration in front of Governor’s House to express solidarity with the Hazara Shia community.

Led by their chairman Imran Khan, a good number of PTI activists reached The Mall to join the Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) demonstration. A good number of women and children were also among the protesters who blocked The Mall and raised slogans against the federal interior minister and other officials. They urged the federal and Balochistan governments to accept the legitimate demands of the grieving relatives of victims of Thursday’s blasts in Quetta.

Earlier, at a press conference at his Zaman Park house, the PTI chairman demanded imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan.

He said people of Hazara community were being killed in Quetta streets and even after being dragged out from buses. He said the federal and Balochistan governments had failed to deliver and should resign immediately.

He said the tehrik would not join Dr Qadri’s long march as it wanted elections according to schedule.

He said Dr Qadri took the decision to launch long march in haste. “Had Dr Qadri consulted the PTI, we would have advised him to wait till the formation of caretaker government. The appropriate time to launch long march would have been if impartial caretakers are not brought in,” said Mr Khan.