LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has directed the party leaders to make preparations for the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ (real freedom) march to Islamabad and they were asked to ensure the participation of at least 6,000 party workers from each district of Punjab in the march.
As per the sources, during a meeting with the party leaders on Wednesday, the former premier said he would not give the call for the long march until a list of 6,000 workers was prepared. He instructed the district party heads to submit the list at the earliest, he added.
He told the meeting that he would decide the place and time of a possible long march; “the long march is my ‘trump card’ that will be disclosed in due course of time”.
He admitted in the meeting that they made two mistakes on the call for the long march on May 25. “Firstly, we made the mistake of considering our opponents as democrats; they do not think democratically. The PTI (government) gave a free hand to its opponents during their march, but in contrast, they oppressed us,” he added.
Imran asks party workers to expedite preparations for ‘long march’
“In the previous long march, we were neither organised nor ready, but this time a comprehensive preparation was being made; each party district office was given the task of bringing 6,000 people to the march,” he added.
Earlier, the PTI chief held a meeting with the party leaders and members of Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Gujarat and Lahore districts. PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Secretary General Asad Umar, PTI Central Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, General Secretary Hamad Azhar Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas, Punjab Senior Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, and district and tehsil office bearers were also present at the meeting. The organisation of the PTI Central Punjab up to the union council level was reviewed at the meeting.
On this occasion, the PTI chief took oaths from party lawmakers, office-bearers and members to participate in the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march. He said they had to save the country from the corrupt people; “‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ movement was important for the supremacy of the Constitution and the country’s security, and hence we need to protect it”.
He added that they need to make Pakistan an independent country in the true sense. He instructed the party members to take to the streets when he gave a call for the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march, adding he would announce the date for the march soon. “This will be my last call before the election,” he added. He blamed the ‘imported and corrupt’ government for destroying the country’s economy in five months; “it has dropped inflation bombs on the people”. He claimed that the ‘group of thieves’ was busy closing the corruption cases filed against them. “Crime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has closed corruption cases worth Rs 1100 billion,” he further claimed.
He reiterated that the only solution to the current crisis facing the country was an immediate general election. He was confident that the entire nation was standing with the PTI and added that the Tehreek-e-Insaf was the only federal party that has representation in all the provinces. “The PTI was the only party that can take the country out of the current difficulties,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PTI Chairman held a meeting with the members of the Punjab Cabinet and discussed the administrative and political affairs of Punjab. The preparation for the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march also came under discussion. He told the meeting to expect the call for the march anytime after a week.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022