–Preparations underway for PTI chief’s visit to Lahore
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led Punjab government was tearing down welcoming banners, posters and party flags put up ahead of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s visit to the provincial capital.
Khan would be reaching Lahore on a two-day visit on March 31 and would supervise the party’s membership drive here.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, PTI central Punjab Information Secretary and Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Murad Ras criticised the Punjab government’s alleged actions and said it was highly undemocratic and against political norms.
“The PML-N is acting like the worst dictator in the garb of democracy,” he said and added the posters, banners and party flags had been torn down and removed from the Mall Road, Ferozpur Road and Canal Road.
He accused Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif of disrupting PTI’s membership drive and said the PTI could respond in the same coin if the Punjab government did not mend its ways. But, he said, the PTI would not take the law into its own hands.
Talking about the arrangements for Imran Khan’s visits, he said the party chairman would be given a grand welcome on his arrival and party workers in a large number from his constituency would join the membership drive.
Separately, at a meeting held in Iqbal Town in connection with the party’s membership drive, Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rashid and PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shafqat Mahmood said they would leave no stone unturned to make Khan’s visit successful since it would be his first public meeting in Lahore ahead of the 2018 general elections.
PTI Senator Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar held separate meetings with party leaders and formed 25 committees to reviews the arrangements for the PTI chief’s visit to Lahore. Ex-MPA Mian Mehmood, Athar Rashid and others were also present on the occasion.
PTI central Punjab President Aleem Khan also held different meetings with various wings of the party at the party’s chairman secretariat and personally visited Imran Khan’s route on 10 places of the city. He issued necessary instructions to party workers regarding the arrangements and said the PTI would break its own record during the membership drive. He also said the party workers from every nook and corner of the city would participate in the rally and make it a huge success.
PTI MPA Shoaib Siddique too held meetings to finalise the arrangements for Khan’s visit.
It is pertinent to note that Imran Khan will reach Lahore on March 31 and will go straight to Liberty Chowk from the Hajj Terminal of the Allama Iqbal International Airport. He will then visit Faisal Town, Yateem Khan, Liaqat Chowk in Sabzazar, Corporation Chowk near the Sagian Pull, Shahdara, Jallo Mor, Canal Chowk in Dharampura and Pasco Town near the EME Society. The PTI chief will also visit Youhanabad, Thokar Niaz Beg, Akbar Chowk, Dubai Chowk and Saddar Bazaar in Lahore Cantonment on April 1.
