PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said he will be leading the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s convoy from his province to participate in the party’s power show at Tarnol Chowk in Islamabad on Thursday (today).

“This is going to be a decisive moment. The nation stands by the PTI founder and incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan.

The nation stands by him for their rights, the supremacy of the Constitution and Haqeeqi Azaadi (real freedom),” Mr Gandapur said in a video messages shared by the chief minister’s secretariat on Wednesday.

In the message, Mr Gandapur said the Islamabad commissioner had cancelled the NOC issued to PTI for holding a political gathering. He accused the federal government of coercion and fascism against PTI, and condemned the ‘unlawful’ action for cancelling the NOC.

The chief minister asked workers from across the country to attend the PTI gathering. He told KP workers to reach motorway interchange in Swabi by 3pm, wherefrom he would lead them onwards.

He said the PTI gathering would prove where the power lied.

Mr Gandapur said there was possibility that the Punjab government would create hurdles by placing containers on roads, but added that all arrangements had been finalised to proceed in any case. He also said holding a political gathering was their constitutional and political right.

According to organisers, workers would gather at the motorway interchange in Swabi from across the province at 2pm.

They said every member of the national and provincial assemblies would lead workers from their respective constituencies to Swabi.

They said every MNA and MPA had been told to bring at least 1,000 workers and also to make transportation arrangements for them.

Meanwhile, PTI workers from Bajaur district would attend the party’s Islamabad gathering in large numbers.

“An impressive number of party workers will ensure their active participation in the party’s gathering being held in Islamabad’s Tarnol Chowk on Thursday (today),” PTI MPA Anwarzeb Khan told reporters after a meeting held at his residence in Raghagan area.

He said the meeting decided that a visible number of party activists would participate in the gathering.

The PTI leader claimed there was great enthusiasm among party activists for the Islamabad gathering to push for the early release of Imran Khan and other jailed leaders and workers.

He said the participants would leave for Islamabad from Raghagan area in a convoy at 9am on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024