PESHAWAR: Thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa left for Rawalpindi to participate in the party’s “Haqeeqi Azadi March” on Saturday.

The processions of PTI workers joined each other on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway in their respective districts for onward journey to Rawalpindi.

The workers in the caravan of cars, vans, buses and trucks from Peshawar were led by PTI provincial president Pervez Khattak.

The charged activists were holding party flags and had also displayed banners on their vehicles inscribed with slogans against the federal government.

Thousands of PTI workers go to Pindi for Azadi March

The caravan of workers and leaders started from Peshawar under the leadership Pervez Khattak, former governor Shah Farman, provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash and MNA Arbab Amir.

Before start of the march, the PTI workers from Peshawar, Mohmand and Khyber districts assembled at Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway Interchange.

Talking to mediapersons in Peshawar, Mr Khattak said their struggle for early and transparent elections would continue till acceptance of their demand.

“Early elections are very necessary as political and economic uncertainties are deepening in the country with each passing day,” he said.

The PTI’s provincial president said they wanted to tell the federal government that whatever it had been planning, Imran Khan was a “force” and the masses would stand by him.

Mr Khattak claimed that the federal government was seeing its defeat and that was why it was reluctant to announce the date for general elections.

He said, any delay in the elections would be an injustice with the country. “It is the right time for masses to take to the streets if they want real independence,” he said.

On reaching Rashakai interchange, the procession from Mardan and Nowshera also joined the caravan. The workers from Mardan were led by provincial minister Mohammad Atif Khan.

A big procession from Malakand division, led by several ministers and MPAs, merged with the main caravan at Karnal Sher Khan Interchange.

Similarly, a procession from Swabi district headed by education minister Shahram Tarakai and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser joined the caravan at the Swabi interchange.

The processions from different districts of southern part of the province joined the caravan at the Hakla interchange.

In Mansehra, the PTI workers and local leaders left the upper parts of Hazara division for Rawalpindi inconvoy of vehicles. CM’s adviser Babar Saleem Swati led the workers to their destination from Mansehra, while CM’s special assistant Ahmad Hussain Shah led the workers from Balakot.

Such convoys also left Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts for Rawalpindi.

PTI’s Abbottabad chapter leadership seemed divided as many participants left for Rawalpindi individually. Provincial assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani led his supporters, while MNA Ali Khan Jadoon set out along with his own supporters.

From Charsadda, the main procession was led by former MNA Fazal Mohammad Khan.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2022