PESHAWAR: Undeterred by road blockades erected by the Punjab government during previous rallies of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the party workers again on Saturday gathered on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway’s Interchange in Swabi to march to the venue of a rally in Rawalpindi.

Led by MNAs and MPAs from Peshawar, Mohmand and Khyber districts, the PTI workers gathered at the motorway before leaving for Rawalpindi in a convoy headed by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The chief minister left Peshawar at around 12 noon. A large number of PTI activists and supporters were waiting for the chief minister’s convoy on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway in Swabi. Those who were waiting had come from Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera and other parts of the province.

The participants from Hazara division merged into the main procession on the motorway after using the Hazara Motorway.

Gandapur leads party workers to Pindi despite obstacles

When the convoy of the chief minister reached Swabi, he left his official vehicle and embarked on the container along with other leaders of the party.

The number of vehicles carrying the PTI workers was double the number seen during the PTI’s rally in Lahore.

The procession comprised different types of vehicles, including cars, coaches, coasters and buses.

Over a dozen ambulances, fire engines and heavy machinery for removing barricades were also part of the convoy.

Their vehicles showcased banners with large pictures of Imran Khan, the party’s founding chairman and former prime minister, who is languishing in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. They were chanting slogans against the federal government and for the release of their incarcerated leader.

A PTI leader told Dawn that the party had already directed its MNAs and MPAs to bring the maximum number of people from their respective constituencies to the Rawalpindi’s rally by arranging transport for them as their performance was not good in this regard during the rally in Lahore.

A couple of days ago, he said that the chief minister held a meeting with the MNAs, MPAs and other leaders of the party and impressed upon them to ensure their participation along with the maximum number of workers.

One of the journalists travelling with the convoy from Peshawar told Dawn that a reception camp was also established on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway to receive the convoys from different areas of the province.

The journalist further said that the authorities had deputed the employees of different tehsil municipal administrations of the Swabi district for providing services to the PTI workers.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the provincial government Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had recorded his vigorous protest on the land of Punjab, according to a statement issued here.

“The chief minister protested with the workers by crossing all the barriers on the motorway,” he said.

He further said that the chief minister bravely faced the administration and police of Islamabad and Punjab for five hours.

He said that they would stage another protest next week on the directives of Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024