Supporters to reach Pindi on 25th: PTI’s top minds formulate strategies ahead of ‘long march’

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the PTI is demanding immediate fresh elections to avoid default.

Qureshi said “the country is in an economic mess and the present government has no roadmap to pull the country out of the crisis”. He expressed these views while briefing the media about the party meeting held on Monday. He was joined by PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Secretary General Asad Umar.

PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the meeting to discuss numerous issues, including the party’s long march on November 26, the economic challenges facing Pakistan and the political situation in the country. The PTI’s top brass was present in the meeting including former federal foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Farrukh Habib, Dr Shireen Mazari, Asad Qaiser, Ali Zaidi, Zulfi Bukhari, Pervez Khattak, Ali Amin Gandapur, Murad Saeed, Aamir Kayani, Babar Awan, Shafqat Mehmood, Ejaz Chaudhry, Azam Swati, Shah Farman, Ali Awan, Shibli Faraz, Aslam Khan, Iftikhar Durrani and Col. Asim (retd).

The PTI Vice Chairman told media that the meeting showed concern over the deteriorating economic situation in the country which was also highlighted by former federal finance minister Shaukat Tareen in his press conference. “The business community was very concerned about the current economic situation and facing tremendous pressure of economic meltdown,” he added.

“Thus, the meeting unanimously believed that if immediate fresh elections were not announced, we will end up with default in the country. We do not seek free and fair elections for getting into power, but to pull the country out of the present economic crisis. The coalition government has no line of action or a roadmap to meet the pressing economic challenges facing Pakistan,” he said.

He further disclosed that the meeting also decided that the people from far areas planning to join the PTI’s peaceful protest long March should arrive in Rawalpindi on November 25 while the people from nearby should arrive at the venue by 1:00 pm so that the event can take place in daylight. “For those coming from far cities, special arrangements were made for an overnight stay in Iqbal Park,” he added.

According to him, the party leaders discussed PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement of joining the march at Rawalpindi on November 26; he will personally welcome all the PTI convoys (coming from various parts of Pakistan) that will converge in the twin city and later he will address them to unveil his next plan.

“During the meeting, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar briefed the Chairman and other leaders about the ground situation in Rawalpindi, options for the historic gathering and the arrangements made for the mega event,” he added. Asad Umar averred that it was the PTI’s stated position that their long march would remain peaceful and within the constitutional limits.

“We had kept our pledge as it was seen that our march throughout Punjab was peaceful; we did not create any commotion or forced people to close their shops while we made special efforts to keep the traffic flowing by allowing one side of the road open for the traffic. We made the arrangements for the march while keeping in consideration of the people’s connivance,” he added.

“Our march was attacked at Wazirabad; an assassination attempt was made on PTI Chairman Imran Khan and in the attack a party worker was killed and many injured. Despite this our workers remained calm and carried on with the march,” he added.

He claimed that in their opinion as well as that of many legal experts, the FIR on Wazirabad incident registered on the complaint of a police officer has no legal standing. “All the senior leaders have a consensus that they could not get the FIR registered on the ground that three powerful persons - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior military officer - were nominated in the complaint,” he added.

“We strongly believe that as long as these three persons remain on their posts, we will never get justice,” he said. Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar told media that the PTI supporters will gather at Rawalpindi’s Murree Road on November 26 for the resumption of march.

“Pindi and Murree Road have been chosen for people to gather at. This will be the biggest gathering in the history of Pakistan,” he said, adding that arrangements will be made at Iqbal Park for the participants arriving from other cities a night before the event.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022