Khan’s million march falling short of a ‘few men’

• Most of capital’s residents, especially businessmen, denounce Imran Khan’s call for million-man march on August 14, advise him to let them ‘live in peace’
• A few students respond to Khan’s call, pledge their support for the event ‘come what may’

ISLAMABAD

SOHAIL RAMZAN

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement of launching a million-man march to Islamabad on August 14 has drawn mixed response from citizens of federal capital.

When people from different walks of life in Islamabad were asked to respond to PTI chief’s announcement made in a recent public gathering in Bahawalpur, majority of the respondents showed their indifference to the call, Pakistan Today has recorded.

TRADERS DON’T AGREE WITH KHAN’S MARCH:

Traders in Blue Area, a major business district of Islamabad which happens to be near D-Chowk where PTI’ s million-man march will land, reacted warily to the announcement as they fear such political activity usually makes them close their business.

When it was pointed out that it will happen on a public holiday, they still opposed it as they feared that often such politically charged mobs turn violent and get involved in wreckage.

Faisal Subhani, a car showroom owner near D Chowk, expressed his dismay over public meetings and sit-ins near his business place. He said that traders in Blue Area were already facing huge business losses due to construction of road for Metro Bus Service and customers find it very hard to reach to Blue Area shopping centres.

Subhani further added that the entire nation should support Pakistan Army in their war against terrorists in Waziristan and there was no space for such political meetings as long as this war was going on.

Owner of a large computer shop on Fazl-e-Haq Road, Abdul Wahab, said that due to the ongoing construction of Metro Bus Road, it was not possible to hold any public gathering on Constitution Avenue and Imran Khan should look for another venue for the march.

However, he too showed no interest in attending such a march and was of the opinion that politicians should leave them alone and let them do their business.

At a small general store in close proximity to D-Chowk, Pakistan Today’s question about August 14 million march caused a heated debate among the shoppers present in the shop over the style of Imran Khan’s politics.

The owner of the shop, a native of Hangu, KP, supported Khan’s demands about the counting of votes but a couple of PPP supporters from Azad Kashmir opposed PTI’s politics and called for giving PML-N time to complete its five-year tenure.

Shahid Abbasi, a lawyer by profession and a resident of G-9 Sector, strongly opposed the march and advised Khan to wait for his turn and to show more trust in the Parliament.

WE’LL ATTEND THE MARCH BUT…

Niazullah Niazi, who works in an international NGO as a director, said that he was also from Mianwali and a long time supporter of PTI but he took exception to Khan’s recent call to hold million march in Islamabad.

Niazi was of the view that Khan should show little patience and should not turn the heat on current government this early. However, he also admitted that he will participate in the march if it actually happens on August 14.

In Jinnah Super Market, a group of young Quaid-e-Azam University students who came there for some shopping expressed their support for Khan and vowed to participate in the march.

A women shopper, resident of F-7 sector, showed her disinterest in politics and million march but she recalled that she liked Khan more when he was a cricketer.

Although, Khan is no mood of halting his advances to press the government on the charges of rigging in general election 2013, the mood of the people of Islamabad does not seem to be very favourable to his announced march.

While August 14 is still more than a month and half away, surely Khan will have to put more weight into his arguments to convince people of Islamabad to attend his march.