No U-turns in Azadi March, govt told

• Imran Khan tells Chaudhry Nisar PTI won’t call off Azadi March in Islamabad until govt announces midterm elections
• Shah Mehmood Qureshi denies contacts with PML-N, says rumours being spread to confuse people about PTI’s long march
• Ijaz Chaudhry confirms contacts, says no govt offer can woo PTI into calling off protest

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has reportedly turned down a request by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to delay his ‘Azadi March’ in the federal capital on August 14, saying that his party would not settle for anything less than holding of midterm elections in the country, it is learnt.

Sources told Pakistan Today on Friday that Nisar had called on Khan at the latter’s residence before Eidul Fitr holidays to convince him not to hold an anti-government protest on Independence Day against last year’s rigging but the PTI chief had refused to budge from his demands.

“Nisar also offered Khan that the government was ready to consider PTI’s demand for electoral reforms but the cricketer-turned-politician said that his party would not take back its decision of holding a ‘million-man’ march in Islamabad as it had exhausted all available forums in search for justice,” said the sources, adding that Nisar and Khan are now expected to meet again on Aug 4.

While PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi denied that any such meeting had taken place between Nisar and Khan, PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry said that the meeting was held before Eidul Fitr.

Ijaz said that Khan had told Nisar that the ‘Azadi March’ would go ahead as per schedule and no government offer could make him postpone the march.

“The government should now announce midterm elections to stop the march. Otherwise, the march would go as per plan,” he added.

Another source in PTI said that the meeting was held at Khan’s Bani Gala residence on Nisar’s request after similar requests by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar were turned down by the PTI chief.

PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari said that she was not aware of any such but confirmed that Khan would meet Nisar on Aug 4.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on the other hand, said “rumours” of contacts between PTI and PML-N were being deliberately spread by certain quarters to spread confusion among the masses about the Aug 14 march.

“Let me make it clear that there is no contact by the PML-N government with Imran Khan. The march will be (taken out) according to its schedule and the rulers can’t fool the PTI workers by making false and misleading claims,” Qureshi said, adding that time for talks with the government has gone past and the decision of going ahead with the long march is final.

The PTI stalwart lashed out at the government for invoking Article 245 of the Constitution to summon Pakistan Army troops in the federal capital, saying that the government misused the article.

“The government, by calling Pakistan Army in Islamabad, wants to scare PTI workers but we are determined to carry on with the Aug 14 march,” he said, adding that, “Our workers won’t clash with military or any other security force.”

When his attention was drawn to the fact that an electoral reforms committee has been constituted, Qureshi said the PTI would extend full cooperation to the committee. However, he added that the government was not serious in reforming the country’s electoral process.

PML-N LEADERS CLAIM PTI CONTACTS:

PML-N leaders including Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique however said that several PML-N leaders were in touch with Imran Khan and talks were underway for cancellation of the PTI’s march.

Saad Rafique’s statement was endorsed by Political Secretary to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Dr Asif Kirmani who said that the government has established contacts with the PTI leadership in a bid to convince them to call off the long march.

Kirmani said the government’s door was open for talks with PTI and Imran Khan was being urged to discuss issues on a dialogue table instead of resorting to protests.

“Pakistan cannot afford long marches at a time when its valiant forces are engaged in the Zarb-i-Azb operation,” Kirmani remarked.

“The prime minister is closely monitoring the situation from Lahore. He will be back in Islamabad on Monday and is expected to hold meetings with senior ministers,” Kirmani said.