Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s charisma is going to be put to test today (Sunday) as hundreds of thousands are expected to turn up for the PTI show of street power at Minar-e-Pakistan. “Hakumat hatao mulk bachao (throw this government out” is Khan’s campaign slogan.
“The preparations have been completed and the PTI delegations are on their way to the venue,” PTI leaders said on Saturday. The arrangements include a 16-feet high stage that has been set up with the help of four containers, while 50,000 chairs have been places for the public. “We have prepared separate enclosures for print and electronic media,” the leaders said, adding “A thousand Insaf Student Federation members will perform the security duties in the ground.”
PTI has invited the province’s major stalwarts to make the rally a success. “We are ready to set a new record in Lahore’s political history and Lahore will be the host of revolution against the corrupt leaders,” PTI Secretary General PTI Arif Alvi and Lahore Region President Mian Mahmood Rashid told journalists. Political analysts have predicted that Khan is expected to announce a new strategy to counter increasing corruption and to rid the country of the present government and other menaces.
Meanwhile, the delegations of workers have started arriving from all far flung areas of the province including Multan, Dera ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur as well as from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to listen to Khan. According to a top police official asking not be named, strict arrangements have been made for the rally with four SPs, 35 DSPs, 50 SHOs, 100 sub-inspectors, 150 ASIs, and about 5,000 policemen being appointed to guard the procession.
Moreover, 70 walkthrough gates, 50 CCTV and 150 metal detectors would also be installed. “Our popularity graph has increased and we expect a major turn out. All major leaders have failed and only Imran Khan has been able to fill the vacuum to lead the country out of crisis,” PTI Lahore Information Secretary Ishtiaq Malik On the other hand, it has been reported that Faisalabad PTI’s delegation had started marching towards Lahore on foot to attend Sunday’s rally.
Activists, including 9 lawyers, will reach Lahore via Shahkot and Sheikhupura. It is also said that a convoy of 100 vehicles will start a journey for Lahore on Sunday morning. A few days ago, challenging Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif, Khan had claimed Lahoris were sick of old and corrupt faces and wanted change and they would turn up in thousands in PTI’s rally. He said people had entrusted their future to PTI and he would not fail them.
“Not just tomorrow’s (Sunday), every PTI demonstration from now on is going to be a nightmare for Takht-e-Lahore (throne of Lahore) and Takht-e-Islamabad,” said Manzor Qadri, a PTI Lahore member. Another PTI supporter from a local college Riasat Ali said, “It is the dengue brothers’ turn to get bitten. This match is Imran Khan’s to win.”
Let the Kaptan’s show begin!
