RAWALPINDI: Former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday arrived at Lal Haveli by moving through the narrow streets of Raja Bazaar on a motorcycle and addressed a crowd of his supporters gathered outside his residence.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ahmed said he had fulfilled his promise of addressing his supporters by crossing all barricades placed by the police and other law enforcement agencies on the orders of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

He said Rana Sanaullah was involved in a case of drug smuggling, adding that majority of the ministers of Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet were facing criminal cases.

“It is so shocking that robbers had become prime minister and chief minister of a province,” he added.

He alleged that the US had hatched a conspiracy to remove Imran Khan from the office of prime minister, adding that he (Imran Khan) was the only leader who had managed to gather the entire nation under one flag.

The former interior minister said police personnel had broken all records of brutality by beating PTI workers and firing teargas shells at them, but he would pardon them.

He vowed to continue his movement till a schedule for general elections was announced.

Coming down hard on the present government, Mr Ahmed said the entire city of Rawalpindi had been sealed with containers.

“The opponents of PTI should do politics of peace and democracy,” he said, adding that the government had gagged media by shutting down a private TV channel.

Addressing his supporters, Sheikh Rashid said he had refused to travel to Swabi to join Imran Khan’s march despite his (Khan) requests because he wanted to be among the people of Rawalpindi who had won his heart by gathering outside Lal Haveli.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2022