Imran Khan receives cordial welcome as he reaches Liberty Chowk
LAHORE, Oct 28 (SABAH): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan arrived at Liberty Chowk on Friday afternoon, welcomed by a sea of party supporters.
The party’s activists and supporters were converging in droves at Lahore’s Liberty Chowk, as the party geared up to launch its ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ from there.
The march, being held to pressure the government into announcing a date for fresh elections, will reach Islamabad by next Friday.
Party chief Imran Khan’s container reached Liberty Chowk shortly before he arrived at the site of the march to officially kick it off.
Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid said he would be joining the march as well, and expressed optimism that “the nation will come out” and that “an election date would be acquired”.
Echoing Rashid’s optimism, senior party leader Shireen Mazari emphatically stated that even the highest authorities will be compelled to announce an election date if the nation marched to Islamabad.
“We are even more energised after yesterday’s press conference,” Mazari said in response to a question if yesterday’s unprecedented press talk, by the chiefs of the country’s premier intelligence agency and the military’s media wing, had dampened their spirit.
PTI leader Hammad Azhar shared that he was already making his way to the meeting point. Supporters could be seen riding along his car on their motorcycles carrying party flags. Meanwhile, Yasmeen Rashid was also seen rallying support ahead of the march.She was also reportedly making her way to Liberty.
Earlier, Fawad Chaudhry had urged Lahore’s citizens to come out onto the streets and join the march, saying “if you do not come out today, then you should not have any complaints about this system”.
“If you want to change this system, come out of your homes. Your childrens’ lives will otherwise also be spent in this rotten system,” he warned.
Earlier in the day, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned that those who “attack” the federal capital will be “met with such dire consequences that no one will ever think of committing such an act again”.
While speaking to the media in Islamabad, the minister said that the government was prepared to deal with anyone attempting to break the law with an iron fist.
Warning protestors of “strict action”, Sanaullah said “if they [protestors] abide by the law, we will facilitate them”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has reached Liberty Chowk from his residence Zaman Park to lead the party’s Azadi Long March and addressed the supporters.
Addressing the participants of the march, Imran Khan said, “I am starting the most important journey in the political journey of 26 years, the time has come for us to start the journey of real freedom of this country.”
“My march is not for politics, not for elections or personal interests, but only for the purpose that the nation should be truly free, our decisions should not be in Washington or Britain, but Pakistan’s decisions should be in Pakistan and for the people of Pakistan,” he said.
Imran Khan along with senior party leaders, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Ali Zaidi, Shafqat Mahmood, Faisal Javed Khan, Sheikh Rasheed, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Musarat Cheema and other leaders can be seen on the container.
After a period of almost six months, on Friday another long march of PTI will proceed towards Islamabad. This long march will start from the famous Liberty Chowk area of the provincial capital.
On the first day, PTI will hold a power show in Ferozepur Road, Mozang, Data Sahib and Azadi Chowk during its tour.
On the second day of the march, PTI’s next destination will be Tehsil Muridke of Sheikhupura, where after the power show, the convoy will go to Tehsil Kamoke of Gujranwala and stay. After the rally, the long march will proceed towards Gujranwala city. A big public gathering has been announced there as well.
After Gujranwala, the next destination will be the tehsils of Sialkot, Daska and Sambrial. Power show will be demonstrated in both the tehsils including the city.
Afterwards, the caravan will stop at Wazirabad and from there the march will move to Gujrat, where Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and former Federal Minister Moonis Elahi will welcome the march and a big rally will be held. From here the next destination will be Lalamusa and Khariyan.
The next day, the march will go to Jhelum district of PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry. The former federal minister will welcome the march and a big power show will be demonstrated. Then Imran Khan’s long march will move to Rawalpindi via Gujar Khan and the PTI chairman will formulate a final strategy for advancing towards the capital city. At Rawat, convoys from North and South Punjab Sargodha, Chakwal, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Leh will also join in the long march.