Imran Khan mulling proposal to leave for KP today

PTI secretary information confirms that Pervez Khattak had phoned Imran about this proposal

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is mulling a proposal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to lead a rally from Nowshehra towards Islamabad and Imran Khan is scheduled to leave for Nowshehra today (Sunday), Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.

A source told this scribe, requesting anonymity, that after Punjab government’s decision to impose section 144 across the province, Pervez Khattak phoned Khan and shared his proposal with him and, finally, convinced him to leave for KP today morning.

Another PTI leader opined that Khan was feeling stuck in Bani Gala and was planning to leave and help mobilise his party’s workers from KP.

“Khan is mulling his options carefully. He would make a final decision today morning after consulting close aides. If he decided to leave for Nowshehra, no one would be able to stop him,” the source said.

The source added that the failure of northern chapter of PTI to brave the heavy contingent of Punjab police and hold a jalsa (rally) in Rawalpindi on Friday has compelled Imran Khan to change the party’s strategy and stick to the previous plan, banking on the party workers from KP for a successful show of power on November 2.

When contacted, PTI Secretary Information Naeemul Haq confirmed that Pervez Khattak had phoned Imran Khan and floated his proposal.

“Khattak wants Khan to join him in addressing rallies from Nowshehra to Swabi. However, Khan is undecided as of yet. He would make a decision tomorrow morning,” said the PTI leader.

He said that if Khan decided to leave Bani Gala, the police would not be able to stop the PTI leader.

The source said that under the changed plan, PTI would bank on the party’s strong support base, as its workers from KP would not only be mobilised by Khan’s presence, but Khan would also be able to break the siege around his residence.

The PTI leader said that the PTI is counting on KP as compared to other provinces for a show of power.

“Since KP is our power base, we plan to mobilise around one million people from KP. Since we have our own party ruling the province, we will have no resistance from Peshawar to Attock,” a PTI lawmaker from KP said, adding that each lawmaker plans to bring around at least 5,000 people along.

“Since this is a do or die situation for the party, I plan to mobilise around five lakh people from my constituency. I would do it even if I have to spend millions of rupees for transportation purpose,” the lawmaker said.

He said that when millions of PTI workers would arrive in Attock, even if all Punjab Police is deputed there, they won’t be able to stop them.

“We are planning to move together. On October 30, the Peshawar-Islamabad motorway would write a new history,” the lawmaker roared.

Another PTI lawmaker said that the party was going to ensure that law takes its course and Sharif would have to face the music for massive corruption over the years.

For Punjab and other provinces, the PTI leader said, the party had planned that wherever the party workers would be arrested or stopped, they would hold a siege and the roads would be blocked.

“All party leaders have been directed to hold a siege wherever they are blocked. If they tried to foil Islamabad lockdown plan, we would block entire Pakistan,” the party leader concluded.