LAHORE: While the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders and workers have come face to face with the security personnel in Islamabad, party men from across Punjab set off and moved through uncharted paths to reach the capital and reinforce the party’s presence in the D-Chowk.

While the activists had stood calm on the second day of Imran Khan’s “final call” for protest in Islamabad, the party men followed instructions and left their cities in isolated vehicles without being identified as Insafians.

Others took longer paths and even crossed rivers (with their vehicles) to head towards Islamabad.

PTI Punjab president Hammad Azhar, who has kept himself in hiding and making flash visits in Lahore without being apprehended by the Punjab police, was seen leading a mass caravan of party legislators, ticket-holders and workers. “Where there is a will, there is a way,” tweeted Mr Azhar and added that he along with dozens of ticket-holders and hundreds of workers had crossed two rivers in makeshift ferries.

Party workers come out of cities in isolated vehicles without being identified as Insafians

As he was on his way, Azhar instructed party leaders and workers to avoid using social media during the journey and announce their arrival only after reaching Islamabad.

Claiming that several party ticket-holders and workers have managed to come out of their cities, Hammad said those still in their respective areas should keep their vehicles isolated from their caravans and cross pickets and barricades like the general public. He also suggested them to take side pathways.

Following the use of firearms in Islamabad, Azhar said the regime had fallen in its own trap. If they end the lockdown in Punjab, he said, even more peaceful protesters would pour into the capital but if they kept the lockdown intact, then Pakistan would come to a grinding halt. “Governing Pakistan without a legitimate mandate has now become impossible,” Mr Azhar asserted.

As the Punjab police continued standing guard actively at entry/exit points in Lahore and other major cities, almost no party movement was seen as activists continued sneaking out of their respective areas and headed towards Islamabad.

PTI Lahore president Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood, who was en route to Islamabad, said he and several other party leaders had come out on their vehicles and many sneaked through the police pickets and barricades as individuals.

He said he was in contact with his colleagues in Lahore and knew their movement towards Islamabad. “Our caravan of some 10 vehicles had come out of Lahore from side roads and villages and now heading towards Islamabad while keeping sufficient distance between vehicles,” he added.

To a question, Mr Mahmood said the party leaders were using their private vehicles and they could not bring party workers along, who needed transport facilities.Several party workers, while speaking to Dawn, said they were looking towards their leaders for their transportation to Islamabad as they had prepared themselves but had no personal vehicle.

On the other hand, some workers claimed that several party men had boarded the Rawalpindi-bound trains to reach Islamabad. “Many of the party workers were identified and arrested at the Lahore railway station on some information reached to security agencies and police,” an activist claimed.

PTI Punjab information secretary Shaukat Basra said the party men had been instructed to reach Islamabad maximum by past midnight. “We wanted to hold a peaceful protest in Islamabad but the establishment-led government was all out to clash and kill innocent people,” he said.

The PTI is protesting and demanding that the government should meet their three demands – release Imran Khan and other political prisoners including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry; return stolen mandate and restore rule of law through the reversal of 26th constitutional amendment.

PTI leader from Multan Mehr Bano Qureshi tweeted that the south Punjab had been mobilised. Many from south Punjab have made it to Islamabad and many more going to get former prime minister and ‘Qaidi 804’ released among other illegitimately detained activists.

Similarly, ‘large’ party caravans were also reported moving from north Punjab led by local party leaders.

As the Section 144 imposed for three days across Punjab had lapsed on Monday, the Punjab home department had extended the ban on all kinds of political assemblies for three more days from Tuesday to Thursday.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024