“This is our march for haqeeqi azaadi and it has no timeframe. We will reach Islamabad from the GT Road and the nation will come to Islamabad from across Pakistan.”
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced to launch of his much-trumpeted protest march on October 28 from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital Islamabad to force the government to call for early polls.
“I have decided to launch the long march from Friday at 11 am from Liberty Square in Lahore to Islamabad,” Khan said at a news conference in Lahore.
“This is our march for haqeeqi azaadi and it has no timeframe. We will reach Islamabad from the GT Road and the nation will come to Islamabad from across Pakistan.”
Last week Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from holding public office after finding he had unlawfully sold state gifts and concealed assets as premier. The gifts included Rolex watches, a ring, and a pair of cuff links.
The announcement by the commission came as Khan has been rallying supporters against the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and calling for early elections. PTI chief challenged the election commission ruling in the Islamabad High Court.
The ousted prime minister said the protest march would be peaceful. “We are not going to break the law or go into the Red Zone. Whatever will happen in Islamabad, it will be according to what the courts have permitted us,” he said.
“We have given instructions to everyone to remain peaceful and we will just show where the nation stands.”
The coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already said protestors will be barred from entering Islamabad and they expect to deploy about 30,000 law enforcement officers to encircle the capital. Authorities have already sent hundreds of containers into Islamabad to barricade all entry points before the protestors arrived.
Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence vote in April, has since held rallies around the country to pressure the government to announce early elections. Sharif has rejected his demand, saying elections will be held on time in late 2023.
The Friday’s planned long march will be Khan’s second major rally, after the first one, known as the “Azadi Rally,” which he had called on May 25, was abruptly called off at the last minute after his party workers arrived at the federal capital.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
