RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has cancelled Thursday’s warm-up programmes for the Islamabad “lockdown” after the Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Association refused to let Imran Khan address lawyers.

The PTI had planned three events in the garrison city, which were called warm-up exercises for party workers.

Mr Khan was scheduled to address lawyers at the LHC Bar Association, a workers convention on Peshawar Road and a separate convention for the city chapter’s workers and supporters on Murree Road.

Bar association president Mujeebur Rehman Kiani rejected an application from PTI lawyers Ihtesham Ahmed and Qaiser Shah to allow Mr Khan to address the lawyers.

The bar association’s secretary general, Faisal Butt, told Dawn the association’s president rejected the application by saying the platform would not be used for political purposes.

He said the LHC Bar Association rejected the application, and the decision was endorsed by the bar’s executive body.

A senior PTI leader told Dawn the party had a difficult time gathering party workers before the public meeting at Lal Haveli due to differences within the party at a local level.

He said the local chapter tried making arrangements, but failed to convince workers to come to party offices on the Peshawar and Murree roads. “They had no other choice but to cancel the programmes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq said the party had no plan to have Mr Khan address the LHC Bar Association.

He denied that the party applied for permission to do so.

He said workers would meet Mr Khan at any time, and were in touch with the leadership so there was no need for a convention. Mr Haq said the party did not want to waste workers’ energy before the real show.

He said the party has asked activists and workers to avoid arrest and save their energy for Nov 2, and added that a public meeting at Lal Haveli will be held according to the schedule.

PTI rejects IHCBA’s demands

While addressing the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) on Wednesday, Imran Khan rejected its demands to show some leniency to students who may be inconvenienced by the Nov 2 “lockdown” of the capital.

The IHCBA had invited the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman to deliver a lecture on the independence of the judiciary.

During their brief speeches, IHCBA President Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Secretary General Mohammad Waqas Malik asked Mr Khan to make sure his protest does not affect the studies of hundreds of students in Islamabad and its nearby areas.

The bar association also demanded free cancer treatment to deserving lawyers at Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital.

The PTI chairman, however, rejected both demands outright.

Mr Khan said that while he was aware of the difficulties the average citizen would have to face during the protest, “they would have to render sacrifices for a greater cause” which, according to him, is the elimination of a corrupt government that is damaging institutions and has brought the country to the verge of collapse.

He said he is not going to derail democracy, but would come out against the “corruption 11” on Nov 2. “Accountability and democracy as the same things,” he said. “We want accountability but do not want to derail democracy.”

FBISE in a fix about HSS exam schedule

The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) is “in a fix” about conducting the Higher Secondary School (HSS) supplementary examinations, which begin on Nov 1, due to the PTI’s planned Nov 2 “lockdown”.

FBISE Chairman Dr Ikram Ali Malik told Dawn: “We are in a fix. We are holding internal meetings to come up with any solutions.”

However, he said the FBISE has decided not to change the date-sheet. “We will wait a couple of days for making any change in our date-sheet,” he said, adding that the FBISE cannot change the exam schedule in other cities for Islamabad.

According to the date-sheet, HSS examinations I and II will begin on Nov 1 and conclude on Nov 25.

A source at the Federal Directorate of Education said no decision has been made about announcing holidays during the “siege”. “We are monitoring the situation. However, the final decision will be taken by the CADD ministry, most likely late on Nov 1,” the official said.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2016