GUJRAT: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s ticket holders from the district in the last general election have been told by their high ups to bear the cost of the PTI public meeting scheduled for October 24 to be addressed by party chief Imran Khan.

This was conveyed to them at a meeting held here on Sunday that also constituted 15 committees comprising the party’s local officials, a party official told Dawn.

The meeting that was presided over by PTI district president Chaudhary Ilyas formed security committee, transport committee, finance committee, media committee, coordination committee etc for holding the public meeting, he added.

The party forms 15 committees to organise the event

He said the party’s ticket holders were told that they would be mainly bearing the expenditures to be incurred on the event.

The party is yet to submit an application to the District Coordination Officer Liaquat Ali Chattha, seeking permission for holding the event at the Zahoor Elahi Cricket Stadium -- the venue of party’s choice.

The matter of finalising the public meeting’s venue is expected to be decided at a meeting to be held between the PTI local cadre and the district government officials at the DCO’s office at 11am on Monday (today).

A delegation of PTI’s local leaders had also met with the District Police Officer (DPO) Rai Ijaz Ahmed late on Saturday at his office and discussed the matters relating to the event’s security, the local leader said.

The district administration has been trying to convince the local PTI cadre to hold the event at one of the cricket grounds of Zamindar College or the Swedish-Pakistani College of Technology in anticipation of a bigger crowd.

A district government official said the government might concede to the PTI’s demand with regard to the venue. He said in that case some extra-ordinary arrangements would have to be made by the local authorities, in collaboration with the PTI workers, to avoid any untoward incident, especially after the conclusion of the public meeting since most of the stadium’s inner gates were narrow.

GUJRANWALA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leadership has entrusted the party’s local leaders with task of making its Oct 24 show in Gujrat a successful event, our Gujranwala correspondent adds.

According to sources, the PTI’s previous election ticket holders for the National Assembly constituencies have been directed to bring at least 50 vehicles each to the event.

Similarly, those who contested for provincial assembly seats have been told to arrange 20 to 25 vehicles each.

The party office bearers from the district and tehsils have also been given such directions, the sources say.

Sources say the party leadership also expects participation of a large number of University of Gujrat (UoG) students in its public meeting given Imran Khan’s popularity among the youth.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014