GUJRAT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addressed a massive public gathering in Gujrat on Friday which he had earlier confidently said would be a record breaking rally.
Today's rally is part of the PTI's campaign against the government of prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which it started in August along with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, who recently decided against continuing the sit-in in front of Parliament in the federal capital.
The PTI leadership has also decided to hold rallies in different cities in the country as according to a prominent party leader it became difficult for PTI supporters from Islamabad and Rawalpindi to maintain presence at the sit-in continuously.
On Thursday, Imran Khan had expressed with great confidence that, "attendance in the rally will break all records of public gatherings held so far by different parties in the [Gujrat] district".
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Imran vows to continue anti-govt protests
Speaking to his supporters, Imran Khan vowed to continue his anti-government protest movement saying ‘a sea of people’ from across the country will reach Islamabad in November after Muharram.
Urging the people to join his party’s sit-in in the federal capital, he said besides “Go Nawaz Go!” slogan, a new slogan “Go Nizam [system] Go!” would be on every lips in November.
Khan reiterated his stance of staying in the container even if he was the last protester left in Islamabad. “I will stay alone in the tent and won’t leave Islamabad until Nawaz Sharif resigns.”
The PTI chairman also condemned Thursday’s suicide attack on JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Quetta, that killed at least three people and injured several others.
Commenting on the situation arising after PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s decision of ending their sit-in in Islamabad, he said that Qadri’s purpose for holding the demonstration was different from his. He, however, thanked the Canada based cleric for supporting his party’s cause for more than 60 days.
Khan ruled out the possibility of following Dr Qadri’s course and ending the PTI sit-in.
In an attempt to respond to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s criticism regarding source of funding of his protest rallies and the sit-in, he said that ‘public’ has invested money for the anti-government protests.
“By successfully holding the sit-in for the last 72 days, we have proven that there was no ‘London plan’ to stage a coup in the country,” he added.
The PTI chief announced that a ‘decisive war’ would be fought against the rulers on November 30.
Sheikh Rashid threatens Indians against border violence
Speaking at the rally, AML chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Pakistan wants mutual respect and good relationship with India on equal terms.
“Listen Indians, live peacefully with us … otherwise, we know how to defend our country,” he said.
He also lashed out at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership, calling PPP patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “Billo Rani”.
Mocking his Urdu accent, Rashid advises PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to also invest some of his wealth on Bilawal in order to remove what he termed his ‘technical fault’.
Imran arrives at the rally
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has arrived at the venue and is expected to deliver a speech soon. Gathered along with him on stage are a number of prominent PTI leaders along with Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.
