PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced that his party’s long march towards Islamabad for the country’s “battle for real freedom” would begin on May 25.Addressing a press conference after his party’s core committee meeting in Peshawar, the former prime minister said the main demands for the march to the capital were the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly and a date for the next general election.”I want to give a little background of how we reached here.
There was a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan from the US. In this regime change, they used locals — the most corrupt people, who were ready to become part of any conspiracy to save their corruption.”This conspiracy was hatched eight months ago and I was alerted about it in June, and after August, I fully understood what was happening. We did our best that somehow this conspiracy could be voided but unfortunately we couldn’t stop itI want people from all [walks of life] to come because this is Jihad, and not politics. I’ve decided and told all my team that we have to be ready to sacrifice our lives.”
Imran indicated that the march would convert into a sit-in and continue until his demands are accepted. “We will never under any situation accept them. No matter how long we have to remain in Islamabad we will remain there.
The PTI has also warned that any attempts to disturb its peaceful protest will not be allowed. This is likely a reply to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s comments that the coalition partners will decide whether Khan’s long march should be allowed to reach Islamabad or not.
Any form of protest is a democratic right – be it Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s march during the PTI government or this long march by the PTI. It is in that spirit that the government should refrain from stopping the march, and Rana Sanaullah would be wise to not give in to the temptation of using strong-arm tactics to stop PTI workers and leaders from reaching Islamabad.
Already, the political polarization has reached a high and with Imran warning his supporters that the government could turn the internet off, stop petrol supply, it is quite possible that any government-PTI clashes could turn violent.
The government should let Imran Khan and his supporters come to Islamabad. Any unfortunate incident that takes place as a result of an overzealous response by the government will not only fuel the PTI’s allegations but will also refute the PDM-PPP’s statements of democracy and right to speech and association.
The idea is that at this moment the PML-N is in a position to get a simple majority in Punjab if elections are held early but this could change if elections are held after the budget is announced.
The government may just be waiting till May 25 when our talks with the IMF are to conclude – to get a better sense of which way the economy is headed.
Imran indicated that the march would convert into a sit-in and continue until his demands are accepted.
