Intelligence Agencies, like many political pandits, declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) rally at Minar-e-Pakistan to be a big success, quoting that more than a 100,000 people, including men, women and children, had attended the rally.
Well placed sources told Pakistan Today that Inter Services Intelligence Agency’s officials had reported that around 85,000 persons including men, women and children attended the rally whereas officials from Intelligence Bureau (IB) had reported the strength of participants between 100,000 to 150,000, adding that both the agencies had declared the rally to be an overalls success regardless of any exaggerations.
Sources said IB officials had reported that the participants were not brought to the rally by the workers of the PTI and had come on their own accord, adding that they had never seen such a huge rally before. On other hand officials from ISI reported that the crowd was quite enthusiastic and had reached the rally without any financial interest.
They furthermore reported that initially PTI activists arranged 20,000 chairs but the crowds that came exceeded everyone’s expectation. The officials reported that the venue was not only over-crowded but people were standing on adjacent roads after failing to enter the “Pindal”. The officials furthermore reported that despite huge gathering not even a single incident of stampede was reported because the crowd was well organised and remained peaceful during the rally.
The officials from ISI reported that that people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had also attended the rally. They reported that people from across KP were present in the rally showing that PTI has good vote bank in KP as well, adding that crowds had come from Abbotabad, Hazara, Bajoorm, Sawat and Peshawar. Officials furthermore reported that Lahoris too attended the rally and people especially women, children belonging from posh areas like Gulberg, Model Town and Defence had also come.
The Lahori factor which was not witnessed in PML-N’s rally was clearly witnessed in PTI’s rally that had created a difference between to political parties. In the end officials from intelligence agencies reported that four leaders of PTI including Mian Azhar, Zahid Khokhar, Bhalli Butt and a leader from Manga Mandi havd made major contribution in beating PML-N in the numbers game.
Officials furthermore reported that the excessive presence of youth ranging from 18 to 30 years from Lahore and other districts had played vital role in making PTI’s gather as more successful and against expectations.
