MIANWALI: Thirteen supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) were injured when the roof a mosque they were standing on to watch Imran Khan address a rally collapsed at Musakhel on Sunday.

The injured were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital, Mianwali, where they were reported to be out of danger.

Earlier, Imran Khan reached Musakhel on a two-day visit to campaign for the party candidates in the second phase of local government (LG) elections. When his helicopter landed in the ground of Govt School, Musakhel, on the Mianwali-Rawalpindi road, those who received him included a faction of the local PTI who were holding black flags in protest against unjust distribution of party tickets for LG polls. Imran held a meeting with the protesting group and promised to redress their grievances after meeting with local office-bearers.

Later, Imran Khan addressed a big gathering and urged his supporters to gear up for the upcoming LG polls. He criticised the Nawaz government for ignoring the farmers, giving example of farmers of Mahar area of Mianwali and Khushab districts where only source of irrigation was tube wells and water level was 600 to 1,000 foot deep.

Imran said the ‘economic murder’ of farmers was taking place and the prime minister was indifferent to the situation, claiming that the farmers in India had been facilitated by their government and they were being provided with quality pesticides, seeds, fertilizer and cheap electricity.

As per schedule released by the PTI district office, Imran would hold rallies at 40 places during the two days. When this report was filed on Sunday, he was addressing a public gathering at Piplan tehsil and he had held rallies at 10 places, namely Musakhel, Chidro Chowk, Wan-Bhachran, Harnoli Adda, Hafizwala, Rafiqabad, Jhanda Peer Morr Piplan, Doaba Road Piplan, Aluwali, Syphen Pul of BD Chaks and Kundan. Imran Khan is schedule to address various gatherings in Isakhel tehsil today (Monday).

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015

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