RAWALPINDI: The PML-N rally left from Rawalpindi to Lahore peacefully and without any hurdles to welcome Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz back to Pakistan though the participation was less than expected.

More than 400 party workers gathered at the PML-N election office on 6th Road and departed for Lahore later than the agreed time. Party leaders kept waiting for workers from 8am to 10am and finally left the city at 11am.

PML-N Metropolitan President Sardar Naseem, Senator Chaudhry Tanveer, Hanif Abbasi, Malik Shakeel Awan, Raja Hanif, Malik Abrar and others led the rally which travelled from 6th Road to the Motorway via 9th Avenue and Kashmir Highway.

Party’s metropolitan president claims most workers had already left Thursday night to avoid arrests

Participants of the rally chanted slogans in support of Sharif and Maryam.

Workers and supporters had been asked by the party to reach the election office of Daniyal Chaudhry on 6th Road at 8am but workers started arriving after 10:30am after calls were made by local leaders and other party leaders.

Though the police had cordoned off the party election office, the workers did not face any hurdles and left for Lahore peacefully.

The police left back for their stations after the rally left though workers seemed anxious due to the presence of the police and asked local leaders if they can join the rally on the way to Lahore. Most workers arrived in their private cars.

Women workers of the party had arrived early at the designated place and were led by MNA Tahira Aurangzeb and others.

Senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan asked party workers to remain peaceful, to not waste their energy and use power to remove hurdles on the way to Lahore.

About the less than expected participation in the rally, Sardar Naseem told Dawn most workers had left for Lahore Thursday night for fear they may be stopped on Friday.

“This is part of a strategy that workers would stay in different parts of the provincial capital on Thursday. Some even went on Wednesday to make arrangements for others,” he said.

Mr Naseem said the police had arrested more than 300 prominent party workers from the city and cantonment areas and forced many to not go to Lahore.

He said people will show their support for Nawaz Sharif on July 25.

He said party workers had wanted to stage a protest near Adiala Jail and that the party leadership had restrained them with great difficulty. People will go to Adiala Jail every day in solidarity with their leader, he said.

Meanwhile, residents of Rawalpindi kept watching television for news and relied on the internet to get news of the arrival of Sharif and his daughter from London, as did the rest of the country.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2018