• Says protesters won’t return from Islamabad without Imran; asks leaders to show ‘proof of mobilisation’ by recording caravan videos
• Marchers told to enter Islamabad in separate convoys; MNAs, MPAs given mobilisation targets
• Party launches campaign to urge public participation in central Punjab

PESHAWAR: Bushra Bibi, the spouse of PTI founder Imran Khan, has warned party leaders that tickets for the next general elections will be based on their performance during the planned protest in Islamabad on Nov 24.

“The party tickets for the next general elections are linked with the performance of PTI leadership during the upcoming protest in Islamabad,” she said, conveying Imran Khan’s message to the party leadership, multiple party sources told Dawn.

She made the remarks while speaking at the final round of deliberations on the Nov 24 protest, held on Sunday at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House.

The deliberations, which continued for the third consecutive day, were attended by PTI leaders, MNAs, MPAs, district- and tehsil-level party office-bearers in Peshawar and southern regions of KP, and affiliated organisations, including the Insaf Students Federation and Insaf Youth Wing.

Similar deliberations were held with the party’s leaders and lawmakers from Punjab on Nov 15 and those from Hazara and Malakand regions on Nov 16 at the KP Chief Minister’s House.

Bushra Bibi urged party leaders to avoid arrests during the protest, stressing that loyalty and effective mobilisation would determine their future in PTI. She warned that long-standing association with the party would not guarantee election tickets if leaders failed to meet the party’s expectations.

“This protest will test your loyalty to PTI,” she reportedly told the attendees. “Our target is to secure the release of Imran Khan, and we will not return from Islamabad without him.”

‘Empty vehicles unacceptable’

Sources said that Bushra Bibi also informed the party leaders and lawmakers that as per Imran Khan’s instructions, they should document their caravans with videos before and during the journey to demonstrate the size of their support.

“Only vehicles in their convoys will not be counted; they should make videos from inside vehicles to show how many people are sitting,” she said, adding that empty vehicles would not be acceptable, according to sources.

It was decided that, unlike previous demonstrations, party workers from KP will enter Islamabad in separate caravans based on their regions. Each MPA has been tasked with mobilising 5,000 supporters, while MNAs must bring 10,000.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who also serves as PTI’s provincial president, directed lawmakers from across the province to arrange transport for supporters in their constituencies.

“Politically, Nov 24 is the final call,” Mr Gandapur told attendees. He urged party members to spare no effort to ensure the protest’s success.

Minister for Higher Education in KP Meena Khan Afridi told Dawn the party’s mobilisation campaign would continue until Nov 23, featuring non-stop rallies, conventions and corner meetings to activate the youth.

Punjab leadership steps up efforts

Meanwhile, PTI’s Central Punjab chapter has intensified its mass contact campaign, urging citizens to participate in the Nov 24 protest and the ongoing social media campaign.

Newly appointed PTI Central Punjab president, Muhammad Ahmad Chatha, and General Secretary Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz instructed district leaders to mobilise the public, stressing that Imran Khan was “illegitimately incarcerated based on fake cases”.

Mr Chatha described the protest as a fight to restore constitutional supremacy and undo the 26th constitutional amendment. He insisted that ensuring an independent judiciary and the return of the public’s “stolen mandate” was not just PTI’s cause but a fight for every citizen’s rights. He also criticised inflation and lawlessness, vowing to ensure justice for the people.

PTI Lahore President Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood said that Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja has directed all leaders and workers to march towards Islamabad on Nov 24. Volunteers from the PTI Azadi Team have been distributing stickers in Lahore to raise awareness about the protest.

Mansoor Malik in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024