LAHORE: Confusion prevailed around the resumption of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ long march on Islamabad, as party Chairman Imran Khan’s previously announced schedule of Nov 8 (Tuesday) was revised twice on Monday — first when party leader Fawad Chaudhry said the march would resume on Nov 9 and later when Senator Faisal Javed tweeted the new date was Nov 10, which was also announced from the PTI’s official Twitter handle.

The day began with PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi announcing at a news conference that the long march will resume on Nov 8 (today) at 1pm, as announced earlier by Mr Khan, from Wazirabad where the firing incident took place a week ago.

Responding to questions about the confusion surrounding the day the long march will resume, Mr Qureshi maintained: “There is no confusion. I am announcing on Imran Khan’s instructions that the long march will resume on Tuesday (today).”

At the outset, the former foreign minister said presidents and general secretaries of the party’s regional organisations had decided to organise a large gathering in Wazirabad, where the assassination attempt on Mr Khan took place, on Tuesday (today) to send out a message to the elements trying to sabotage the protest march. The events would begin with prayers for the late Muazzam Gondal and expression of solidarity with the families of those injured in the shooting.

Qureshi says procession to begin on Tuesday as per Imran; Fawad revises date to Wednesday, Faisal Javed finally postpones it to Thursday

Meanwhile, Mr Qureshi’s party colleague, Fawad Chaudhry, announced the long march would resume on Wednesday, which was soon superseded by Senator Faisal Javed that it would begin on Nov 10 at 2pm, which was also posted through the party’s twitter account.

Flanked by PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, General Secretary Hammad Azhar and other leaders, Mr Qureshi chided the ruling coalition for calling the Wazirabad firing incident a “drama”, adding this was tantamount to rubbing salt on the wounds of the families of the victim and injured participants of the march.

Expressing lack of trust in the current justice system, he said, “The PTI will eventually look for divine justice and public decision.”

Expressing gratitude to the Supreme Court for ordering registration of the Wazirabad firing incident first information report (FIR) within 24 hours, the PTI vice chairman was doubtful whether the report would be registered as per the wishes of the victim or at the behest of some powerful quarters.

“The police is bound to record the victim’s complaint verbatim and its validity can be determined at the second stage,” he stated, adding the Punjab police chief had now himself decided to step down after he continued making excuses for not registering the FIR and being unable to satisfy the Punjab cabinet or the public.

Answering a question about security cover for the long march and its participants, Mr Qureshi said it would remain the responsibility of the respective districts’ deputy commissioners and police chiefs.

Dispelling the idea that the security cover was inadequate at the time of the attack on Imran Khan, the PTI leader said attacks happened despite the strongest security covers, and cited the examples of a US president and slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

About the role of Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Mr Qureshi said the PML-Q leader had categorically stated, and was proving so too, that he stood alongside the PTI chairman. “We cannot doubt Parvez Elahi’s intentions,” he commented.

Sometimes, he said, even elected governments were restrained while working within the system in vogue, and hastened to add that this was the only reason the PTI was holding the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march to establish the supremacy of law and justice.

Regarding Mr Elahi’s absence from the long march, Mr Qureshi said the chief minister had announced he would be fully preparing to welcome the procession in his home district of Gujrat.

“Only some people wanted to create misunderstandings between the PTI and PML-Q leadership, but they will fail for sure,” Mr Qureshi asserted.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2022