LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party on Sunday took out a rally in the provincial metropolis to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign from his office before Supreme Court verdict in Panama case involving the ruling family.

Bracing the muggy weather, the participants, occupying jeeps, cars and riding motorcycles and some of them on foot, marched from the Press Club up to Aiwan-i-Iqbal on Egerton Road, covering around one kilometre distance.

Many of them carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans targeting the Sharifs, terming them “lutairay” (plunderers) and “chore” (thieves).

50 booked in Sahiwal for agitating

The party’s senior leader Azizur Rehman Chan, who led the jiyalas’ ‘Go Nawaz Go’ rally, said the masses were waiting for a “logical end” to Panama Leaks case. The prime minister, however, should resign before waiting for the Supreme Court verdict in the case as he (Nawaz Sharif) had lost moral ground to rule the country.

He demanded immediate resignation of the premier, lest any delay in this regard should hit the democratic process in the country.

He alleged that the government removed the PPP banners that had been hoisted for inviting the masses to join the party’s rally but, he said, the step could not save the government from accountability.

Mr Chan also criticised the PML-N government’s development projects saying it only focused the areas which could help it win wider publicity instead of being beneficial for the public in the long run. Wasting public money on “flawed” projects was also a sort of corruption and dishonesty, he added.

GUJRAT: The Punjab PPP president Qamar Zaman Kaira led his party’s “Go Nawaz Go” rally here on Sunday that was participated by a large number of the party workers from across the district.

The participants gathered at the Kutchehry Chowk and marched up to the Press Club.

The PPP workers, mostly women, seemed enthusiastic and were carrying party flags and placards inscribed with ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans. They also chanted the slogans demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation over Panamagate.

Punjab’s former finance minister Tanveer Ashraf Kaira, PPP Gujrat president Zia Mohyuuddin, secretary general Dr Zahid Zaheer and president woman wing advocate Wazirun Nissa Chaudhry were also among those leading the rally that was the party’s first major activity in the district since the last general elections. Earlier, Qamar Kaira led a rally from his home town of Lalamusa to Gujrat where another big rally of party workers from Jalalpur Jattan, led by Dr Zahid Zaheer, joined it. According to some observers, participation of party workers from Gujrat city in the rally was thin.

Speaking to the workers on the Press Club lawns, Mr Kaira again asked the prime minister to reveal the names of those elements who were allegedly hatching a conspiracy against PML-N government.

Mr Kaira said all the PPP governments had been facing conspiracies hatched by the state agencies, besides adverse court verdicts, but the party had always exposed the elements behind these conspiracies.

Saying that the days of Nawaz government were numbered, he added that now the public’s demand was not limited to just resignation of the premier but the people wanted to see Nawaz Sharif in Adiala Jail. Referring to turncoats leaving the PPP, he said some “seasonal migratory birds” had been flying towards the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf seeking tickets for next election instead of bringing a change in the country.

He announced that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would start visiting Punjab districts, including Gujrat, in the next month to meet with the party workers which, he hoped, would bring a “new wave” in the party for its revival in Punjab.

OKARA: Hundreds of PPP workers led by district president and a former MNA, Chaudhry Sajjadul Hassan, took out a “Go Nawaz Go” rally from Press Club to Gol Chowk.

The participants holding placards and banners carrying anti-government slogans marched through Ghousia Masjid Chowk and Kutchehry Bazaar to reach Gol Chowk where local party leaders delivered fiery speeches.

Those who spoke included Chaudhry Sajjadul Hassan, city president Alam Sher Lodhi, founder workers Malik Riasat Ali, Sayyed Zakir Hussain Shah, Shahid Saleem Nonari, Asif Baloch, Rana Shakeel Sulehria and Sheikh Najamul Saqib.

They said the premier had been left with no moral or ethical basis for ruling the country following the Joint Investigation Team’s findings in Panmama case.

They claimed Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by the apex court was just a matter of days.

Similarly, in Depalpur tehsil the PPP workers took out a rally led by district secretary general Shahzad Ahmed Naul and in Renala Khurd the party’s anti-government show was led by tehsil president Rana Abdul Rehman.

SAHIWAL: PPP district president Zaki Chaudhry and 50 others were booked on Sunday under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) for taking out a “Go Nawaz Go” rally in the city.

According to police, the PPP local leaders and workers were booked for taking out rallies without seeking permission despite imposition of Section 144 by the district administration.

An FIR (188/17) has been lodged under 16 MPO and section 188 of the PPC.

City SHO Rana Asif Sarwar told Dawn that those booked included PPP city president Zaki Chaudhry.

Earlier, local chapter of the party organised a “Go Nawaz Go” rally from Jogi Chowk to Mazdoor Puli.

Hundreds of party workers including women, led by district, city and tehsil office-bearers participated in the rally where PPP ticket holders of previous election and aspirants for upcoming poll were also present.

Zaki Choudhary told the media the rally was part of the PPP’s campaign in nine divisions of Punjab for making Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resign.

Those who spoke included Mahar Gulam Farid Kathiya, Pir Zafar Shah Khagga, Chaudhry Shafqat Javed, Wajid Ali Doger and Muhammad Ali Bokhari.

SIALKOT: A large number of Pakistan Peoples Party workers on Sunday took out a “Go Nawaz Go” rally in the city for building pressure on the prime minister for his resignation.

Sialkot PPP President Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmed Cheema led the rally which started at Kutchery Chowk and ended at Allama Iqbal Chowk.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government.

Local PPP leaders Khwaja Awais Mushtaq, Tahir Akhtar Malik, Faisal Gujjar and Azhar Diyal said Nawaz Sharif had no right to stay in power after the JIT’s report.

KASUR: Scores of PPP workers took out a rally on Sunday against the prime minister demanding his resignation.

Led by PPP local leader Munir Ahmed, the party activists chanted anti-Nawaz slogans.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2017