LAHORE, Sept 25: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chief Imran Khan has asked the federal government to issue visas to international human rights activists and journalists who wanted to join his “Waziristan Peace March” scheduled for Oct 7.

“Denial of visas to international rights activists and journalists will reflect government’s hypocrisy with regard to its stance against drone attacks and extremism in Waziristan,” he said.

Mr Khan was speaking at a function where Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s Naeem Hussain Chattha and his son Abid Hussain (from Sheikhupura) announced joining the PTI on Tuesday at the Chatthas’ Gulberg residence here.

PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, besides party workers from Sheikhupura, were also present on the occasion.

Mr Khan said it was imperative to hold the march as Pakistan was spending some Rs90 billion on `war against terrorism’, besides suffering loss of lives of army men and innocent people.

“Preparations for the march are in full swing and hundreds and thousands of people from across Pakistan will reach Waziristan on Oct 7,” he said. “The Mehsud tribe will provide security to the march participants,” he added.

Mr Khan said the PTI was the only political party that made the bold decision to go to Waziristan and show the world that drone attacks were targeting innocent people and must be stopped forthwith.

He reminded the audience the PTI had also organised a massive public gathering in Quetta where no other party had dared to go. To a question, he said any political party that wanted to join the march would be welcomed.

Mr Khan also announced that the PTI would start party election process in two weeks’ time. He said the party was purchasing modern technology and software to hold party elections in a transparent way.

Stating the PTI had a membership of over 10 million people, he hoped that more than 70 per cent of its members would poll their votes to elect the party leaders who would have a role in awarding tickets for the next general elections.

The PTI chief also reiterated his demand that the country’s Rs5 billion lying in President Asif Ali Zardari’s accounts in Swiss banks should be brought back.

“All criminals in Pakistani jails have not plundered Rs5 billion. What if, they demand that they too should be released because the Pakistani law was not arresting Zardari for plundering nation’s Rs5 billion,” he commented.

Welcoming the newcomers, Mr Khan said the Chatthas joined the party because of its culture of transparency and integrity. “Those, who are leaving the PTI are probably frustrated by party’s transparent policies of electing leaders and awarding tickets for the next elections,” he said.

Earlier, Abid Chattha said he and his father had been staunch Muslim Leaguers but “Now both factions of the PML (N and Q) have become right and left hands of the Pakistan People’s Party”.

Mr Chattha said the present government had failed on all fronts -- political, economic and social and gave nothing to the nation but “scandals, crisis and destruction”.