LAHORE: Tensions ran high between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and its arch-rival Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Monday, a day after Imran Khan announced the date of his party’s march on the Raiwind residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The PML-N workers showed their support for the prime minister and his family and organised rallies in different parts of Punjab against the PTI for going ahead with its planned protest, what the ruling party workers called besieging of the prime minister’s residence.

The PML-N activists, or Nawaz Sharif’s janisaars as they called themselves, brandished clubs through different city streets to remind the PTI how they intend to deal with the protesters, indicating the Punjab government’s ‘all-out support’ for them.

Punjab government’s spokesman Zaeem Qadri hurled threats to the opposition at a press conference along with the janisaars, who have developed a “baton-wielding force” to block the PTI from marching on Raiwind.

The PTI leaders lambasted Mr Qadri, saying “a minion is trying to speak out-of-proportion”.

The PML-N workers were seen brandishing batons and carrying tomatoes and eggs in different cities saying that they were preparing to ‘welcome’ Imran Khan at Raiwind.

Mr Qadri officially patronised the janisaars at the news conference where he asked the PTI leadership to categorically announce the venue and route details of its Raiwind march or face consequences.

In response, the PTI leadership said its workers would not be holding flowers and would pay them back in the same coin and even added that they could move from already announced protest venue Adda Plot to Jati Umra, which has been declared the Prime Minister’s House being run on taxpayers’ money.

Undeterred by the Punjab government’s ultimatum, PTI Punjab central region president Abdul Aleem Khan strongly criticised Mr Qadri for holding a news conference flanked by “ghundas” from so-called Nawaz janisaar force to hurl threats and said the PTI would decide its plan of protest and reveal it at an appropriate time. “The PML-N workers should avoid any misadventure because the PTI workers will not greet them with flowers while marching on Raiwind,” he warned.

Warning Imran Khan against going to the residence of the prime minister, Mr Qadri said: “We give a deadline to the PTI to announce the venue and route details. We want to know whether the PTI is holding a protest outside the prime minister’s residence so that we make our own strategy in this regard.”

He said Pakistan was not a property of Imran Khan that he blocked the roads whenever he wanted and created problems for the people. “The emotions of the lovers of Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N are running high over the PTI’s plan to besiege the house of their leaders,” he said, adding that Imran Khan called the Lahorites ‘rungbaz’ which would not reflect well on his political career.

Mr Qadri asked the PTI chairman to drop his Raiwind march plan as he was again treading a path of violence like he had in 2014.

The PML-N workers sitting by Mr Qadri were wearing headband inscribed with ‘Janisaar Force’.

Earlier, some ministers had distanced themselves from the janisaar force, saying they were expressing their love for Nawaz Sharif but they would not be allowed to come on roads on the day of the PTI rally. Even Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the prime minister, had asked PML-N supporters to stay calm and not read much into the Raiwind march.

Former Punjab governor and PTI leader Chaudhry Sarwar said the politics of threats would lead the PML-N’s politics to dig its own grave.

Insisting that the PTI would not retreat an inch from its planned march on Raiwind, he said his party’s stance on accountability in the wake of the Panamagate scandal had baffled the PML-N leadership. “Is corruption legitimate?” he asked.

Reiterating that the PTI is going to hold a protest on Raiwind Road and will not be besieging anybody’s residence, Chaudhry Sarwar suggested that the PML-N refrain from provoking the PTI leaders and workers as they would be exercising their constitutional and democratic right to protest.

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoo­dur Rasheed said any violence by the PML-N workers would compel the PTI to start marching from Adda Plot to Jati Umra.

Chiding PML-N leadership’s ‘cronies’ for keeping mum and staying away when Nawaz Sharif and his family were imprisoned and banished, Mr Rasheed said that “darabaris” had come out for petty gains.

Gullu Butt’s entry

Zaeem Qadri ended his press conference abruptly when Abdul Ghani Butt, younger brother of famous character of Model Town incident Gullu Butt, appeared in the press club. Mr Qadri and PML-N workers disowned him. Some workers gave him a thrashing. Some journalists also complained about misbehaviour by the PML-N workers. Ghani Butt was later handed over to police.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2016