PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is likely to play a major role in the success of power shows planned by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement in Islamabad as both are striving to take most of their workers and supporters from the province to the federal capital.

On Friday, both PTI and PDM said they were working on strategies and making preparations to bring out most of their workers and supporters for their marches on the federal capital, where the battle for rule in Pakistan looms large.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a stronghold for both PTI and its arch rival Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also the president of the PDM, will lead a vehicular procession from his home district, Dera Ismail Khan, to Islamabad via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor route. Small and big processions from southern districts will join the main procession.

In a statement issued on Friday, JUI-F provincial spokesman Abdul Jalil Jan said the party’s workers would leave Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Islamabad on Saturday morning.

“In accordance with the decision of our central leadership, participants of the Mehangai March will stay in Islamabad for three days, including Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” he said.

Fazl to take vehicular procession from Dera; PTI marchers to be led by chief minister

Mr Jan said participants of the march from northern, southern and central regions of the province would reach the Hakla interchange at around 5pm on Saturday, where they would join the main procession, while workers from southern belt, including tribal districts, would reach Islamabad via CPEC.

He added that marchers from central districts, Malakand and Hazara regions would use the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway.

Volunteers of the Ansarul Islam, a security-cum-relief wing of the JUI-F, will escort vehicular processions from Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar to Islamabad.

The statement said Mr Fazl’s younger brother, Maulana Attaur Rehman, and other JUI-F leaders would lead rallies from Peshawar and that the party had issued directions to its councillors to mobilise workers for the march on Islamabad.

On the other hand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has decided to lead the main procession of PTI from KP to Islamabad.

“Certainly, I will lead the procession from KP,” Mr Mahmood told Dawn on Friday.

He said the venue for starting the main procession had yet to be decided.

Sources said that the PTI’s core groups were meeting in Peshawar on Friday night to finalise the rally schedule.

They said the PTI rallies from different districts of the province would join the main procession at the Hekla Interchange from where the marchers would leave for Islamabad on Sunday.

The PTI parliamentary party, in a meeting on last Tuesday, had directed all ruling party MPAs, ministers and councillors to take the maximum possible number of workers from their respective areas to Islamabad.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will take out the main procession in connection with the long march from Peshawar.

Spokesman for the PML-N and MPA Ikhtiar Wali said the party’s workers would reach the federal capital on March 28.

He said PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam would lead the main rally from Peshawar, while MNA Murtaza Javid Abbasi would lead a procession from Hazara region, which was the party’s stronghold in the province.

Also, the opposition Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party have chalked out own plans regarding participation in the Mehangai March.

However, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s KP chapter has yet to announce its plan regarding participation in Islamabad’s protest. A source said the PPP’s central command had yet to issue guidelines for that march.

The PPP recently organised an anti-government march from Karachi to Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2022