LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab president Shafqat Mahmood has warned the PML-N government of “jamming” the whole country, if it tried to block the party’s ‘Azadi Long March’ by using illegal and undemocratic tactics.

The PTI is planning long march on Islamabad after May 20 to demand free and fair election immediately so that the masses may themselves decide who should rule the country.

Speaking at a presser here on Sunday, Mr Mahmood said the PTI had planned a peaceful march and it should be allowed to exercise its democratic right to protest. He claimed the party had completed preparations for the march.

Flanked by PTI Punjab secretary general Raja Yasir Humayun and information secretary Musarrat Cheema, Mr Mahmood said the party would not sit silent until the ouster of “imported government”.

Alleging that the chief election commissioner (CEC) was siding with the PML-N, he said it was impossible to hold free and fair elections in the presence of the incumbent CEC. “The only solution to the political crisis in the country lies in free and fair elections,” he stressed.

Mr Mahmood reiterated that the elected PTI government was allegedly toppled through a foreign conspiracy orchestrated with the help of internal actors. He added that through the foreign conspiracy corrupt rulers were installed to rule the country.

He said the PTI would continue its struggle to help the masses get their rights.

Earlier in the day, Mr Mehmood chaired a meeting of PTI’s district presidents other office-bearers and discussed strategy to ensure massive participation of people in Azadi March.

The party leaders were also assigned different tasks related to the march at the meeting that also discussed ways and means to counter “illegal and undemocratic tactics” the PML-N’s federal and Punjab governments might employ to block the marchers.

The meeting was attended also by party leaders including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mahmoodur Rasheed, retired Brig Ejaz Shah, Sardar Asif Nakai, Sadaqat Abbasi, Riaz Fitiana, Ijaz Chaudhry and others.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2022