ISLAMABAD: Negating the impression that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s popularity has gone down, a large number of people reached F-9 Park to celebrate the party’s 20th foundation day on Sunday.

However, due to groupings among PTI leaders in Rawalpindi, the party could not meet the target of 200,000 people from the district and hardly managed about 2,000 to 3,000 participants from the garrison city.

The participants from the city moved to the venue in two separate rallies taken out from the cantonment and city areas and led by Zahid Kazmi and MPA Rashid Hafeez, respectively.

Participation from Rawalpindi city, Imran’s constituency in NA, remains poor due to groupings in local chapter

The PTI also failed to establish camps on roadsides and install banners in the Rawalpindi city for the public meeting despite directives from the central leadership to mobilise the citizens for the event.

Divisions within the party were the main reason for the lackluster campaign for the public meeting. “There is no one who can run the party at the district and city level while local leaders remain confined to their respective constituencies,” said a senior local leader of the PTI.

He said the rally which came from Taxila was bigger than those taken out from the garrison city. “Sarwar Khan and his brother Sadiq Khan managed to bring more people from the small town compared to the garrison city.”

He said it was a major function of the PTI and the local leaders had been directed to bring all the party workers and supporters to the venue.

The PTI local leader added that NA-56 was the constituency of Imran Khan and the local leaders should have brought more people from this area.

“For the last three years, the PTI did nothing for the welfare of the people in the garrison city and, as a result, the local leaders of the party are reluctant to contact the voters,” he said.

But even then, most of the participants at the public gathering came from different parts of the Rawalpindi district and the federal capital though there was also representation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), central Punjab, including Lahore and Faisalabad, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK.

Aizaz Shah, 17, a student of Peshawar Model School Mardan, told Dawn that he reached Islamabad along with his friends on Sunday noon.

“We all believe that the PTI-led government has brought revolutionary changes in KP. A few years ago students freely used unfair means in exams but now it has become very difficult to do so.”

He said in the past schoolteachers never bothered to come on time and take classes regularly but now things have changed.

He added that changes were also visible in the police and revenue department due to which people now do not have to bribe the officials for their work. “I don’t say there is 100pc perfection but it is a fact that 80pc change has occurred in KP.”

He also believed that if Imran Khan becomes the prime minister, issues faced by people in the whole country would be resolved. “That is why I have been supporting the PTI,” he said.

Mohammad Khalid, a resident of Khanna Bridge in Islamabad, who works in a heavy machinery workshop, also seemed charged up. He claimed that in Pakistan only Imran Khan can bring a change.

“Both the PPP and PML-N cannot bring any change because their leadership is corrupt and they cannot take action against corrupt elements. Imran Khan may have some weaknesses but no one can point fingers at him for corruption,” he said.

Security arrangements

There were strict security arrangements for the gathering with the deployment of around 6,000 personnel of law enforcement agencies, including 519 traffic police officials.

All sides of the F-9 Park were sealed with barbed wires and 10 walk-through gates were installed at Mehran Gate located on Jinnah Avenue.

Police officials were guiding people from where to enter the park and were also checking everyone before their entry into the venue.

On the other hand, a cricket ground and the nearby area located in front of the park were converted into a parking area.

PTI membership counter

The PTI workers also established a stall for the party’s membership.

Jameela Nazar, a worker of the PTI who was also elected as a councilor from UC-74 Rawalpindi, said it was a good opportunity for the party to enroll new members.

“Every person can register two members through their mobile phone. They have to send their name and CNIC number on 90088 for the registration of their vote,” she said.

Stalls outside F-9 Park

A large number of stalls selling edible items and PTI flags, caps and badges were established around the venue.

Amir Masih, who was selling cold drinks, told Dawn that he was hopeful that he would do a good business.

“It was a hot day and a large number of people directly reached F-9 Park from out of station and made a bee line for the cold drinks on offer,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2016