On Thursday evening, every road one took to the Greater Iqbal Park was lined with banners, flexes and flags of the PTI for the party’s rally to be held later in the evening under the shadow of Minar-i-Pakistan.

Getting into the venue was a task altogether as despite designating gates for the media, families and male visitors, nobody was really willing to follow the rules and the security personnel were found scuffling with intending visitors. Once inside, it was a smooth sailing.

To the right of the main stage, in front of Minar-i-Pakistan, was established a small family enclosure which was yet to be filled by 8pm, while many visitors were still trickling in. To the left and centre of the stage were spaces for the male audience, which even after the jalsa got under way was yet to fill up, unlike many PTI rallies that are attended by huge crowds. However, there were hundreds waiting to get in at that time.

Men, women, boys, girls, minor children -- some even in pushchairs, elderly, there were visitors of all age groups carrying PTI and Pakistan flags, banners and placards, some even donning kurtas printed with Imran Khan’s face, bandanas and scarves in PTI colours, their faces painted with stripes in the party’s red and green colours.

Families had reached the venue from various parts of the country to get a glimpse of their leader Imran Khan.

Some of the placards people carried read “Beggars can’t be leaders”, “Tum ghari aur haar ki baat karte ho, Khan sb ke to lotay bhi 25cr mein biktay hain”, “Imported Hukoomat Namanzoor”, “Supreme Court se poochna tha mulzim zamanat par ho to judge ban sakta hai?” among others.

“We have come for our children, our future generations and Pakistan; we don’t want to get embarrassed by them that when Khan called for us we kept sitting at home. A person who sacrificed all his joys for Pakistan is fighting for it all by himself. We stand by him against the injustice meted out to him and believe Imran Khan is the real prime minister,” said Ghazala Adnan, a lawyer who had come from Sialkot with a group of fellow PTI supporters, adding roads have been blocked and containers placed to stop those coming for the jalsa from other cities.

Altaf, a Lahore resident, came with his wife and two little children carrying PTI flags. He said they had come to support Imran Khan who seemed to be the only saviour right now. “The way he has been toppled isn’t acceptable. We voted him in 2013 and 2018 and wish to vote him in 2022 as well.”

Rai Ikram from Faisalabad, who had come to Lahore with around eight family members, said Imran Khan was fighting the mafias and elites alone for the future generations. “All institutions are against him and they have imposed dacoits on us. The 90pc of the cabinet is on bail. Most of the ministries have been handed over to those who made the most anti-army statements. Khan Sb has taken a stand from the beginning that no anti-army comments will be made; last night he said army is important for the country more than he himself is. PML-N has been so vocal against the army; Nawaz Sharif named generals in his speeches. Bilawal spoke against the army the day Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the prime minister. Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir also support them. But a leader respects all institutions no matter what he’s faced with.”

An elderly man, Bagh Ali, said he had come with his family from Okara to listen to their leader. He said he agreed with Khan that elections should be held as soon as possible, adding his ouster from power was unfair and he was satisfied with the PTI government’s performance till it ruled.

Sitting besides him was Ghulam Sarwar who said he had walked over to Minar-i-Pakistan from Misri Shah only for Imran Khan.

Faiza Khan who had come from Islamabad with her friend said they supported Khan Sb’s narrative and would go to any corner of the country their leader calls them to. “It was a great injustice with him, we reject the imported government and want elections to be held soon. Imran’s government wasn’t allowed to work so how could they perform?” she questioned.

A Cantonment resident had come to the rally with her colleagues and friends, all donning dupattas printed with Imran’s face and carrying bags of snacks. Wishing not to he named, she said she had come to the rally for Khan. “I support his vision. He is the only person who has familiarised the nation with the meaning of nation.

Two elderly ladies, who had come from Yateemkhana area, said their family was reaching in the form of a rally. “Imran Khan is an honest man. We reject this selected government; they are dacoits and looters. Inflation isn’t just a problem of Pakistan; now that they’ve come they should do something about it. If they couldn’t do anything in 35 years how could Khan do it in 4 years? We never slept hungry for a night,” said one of them, Musarrat

Outside the venue, hundreds of those who couldn’t make it inside or were still trying to find a way to get in, including families, had practically blocked Azadi Chowk for traffic and were holding their own mini rallies, sitting atop cars, waving flags, shouting slogans against the PML-N and the new government, including “Maryam ke papa aur chachoo chor hai”, from megaphones and playing PTI anthems.

Some photojournalists and print media journalists complained of not getting access to the media enclosure and facing difficulties in reporting.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022