PTI postpones dharna on 18th following chief’s wedding

• PTI turns D-Chowk’s dharna in federal capital into workers’ convention in lieu of Peshawar carnage and Khan’s wedding

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to postpone the sit-in announced by its chief Imran Khan, turning the event into a workers’ convention which would be attended by party workers only.

A source in PTI told Pakistan Today that the sit-in has been deferred ‎for two reasons: Imran Khan’s wedding and public’s sombre mood following the Peshawar attack.

“After a thorough discourse, better sense has prevailed and now the dharna has been converted into a ceremonial gathering to offer prayers for those PTI workers who lost ‎their lives during PTI’s protests against rigging,” the source said, adding that Khan was also busy with his domestic affairs after his remarriage while security threats was also a reason for doing away with the protest mood.

“Moreover, PTI’s think-tank believes that ‎the government cannot take ahead the agenda set by the army chief against terrorists. The government’s failure would lead to strengthening of General Raheel Sharif and weakening of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. So PTI does not want to prevent this process of a likely tiff between the army and government,” the source maintained.

When contacted, PTI Vice President Naeemul Haque confirmed that PTI had decided to hold a workers’ convention at Islamabad’s D Chowk on January 18 which would be attended by two to three thousand party workers.

“On February 1, we will arrange party workers convention at Karachi, in Lahore it would be held on February 8, while in Peshawar it would be organised on February 16,” he added.

JUDICIAL COMMISSION BEFORE 18th:

Meanwhile, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal told reporters that the government would form the Judicial Commission for investigating rigging allegations before Jan 18.

“We don’t want Imran Khan to spend his time on the roads soon after his new wedding so the commission will be formed before his announced deadline,” he said, while greeting the PTI chief on his second marriage.