RAWALPINDI: The oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) north Punjab office-bearers was held at Liaquat Bagh on Saturday.

PTI chief organiser Saifullah Niazi administered oath to the newly-appointed office-bearers in the presence of senior party leaders. All the members pledged to serve the party as per the constitution and policies of the party.

The ceremony was held at a time when the PTI ministers are asking people not to arrange any public meetings or rallies for three months to check the spread of Covid-19.

Federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday asked the opposition not to hold any public meeting for the next three months due to the pandemic. Ministers Asad Umer and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also made such statements.

The district administration allowed the ruling party to hold the function and provide all facilities, including security, to the participants.

No social distancing was adopted at the function as the participants reached the venue in the shape of rallies from different districts.

Speaking on the occasion, the PTI chief organiser said Prime Minister Imran Khan would make the country an Islamic welfare state.

Acknowledging the rising inflation, unemployment and poverty in the country, he held the previous PML-N and PPP governments for it and said due to their corruption the nation was facing such problems.

He said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was making statements just to hide his corruption. He said solution to all problems of the country was to let Imran Khan to complete his tenure.

He said a new chapter of politics has started. “We have eliminated the traditional politics in the country and will establish the supremacy of merit,” he said.The ceremony was attended by PTI north Punjab president Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, general secretary Dr Athar Masood, deputy general secretary Arif Abbasi, Senator Faisal Javed and others.

Sadaqat Abbasi said ensuring justice and serving people was the foremost responsibility of the PTI as enshrined in its manifesto.

He said those who committed corruption could not escape punishment. Nobody is above the law, he said.Other party leaders said Imran Khan will not hesitate to take even extreme step to purge the country of the menace of corruption.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2020