Imran Khan vs coalition govt: PTI all set for Islamabad long march

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has stressed to the activists to reach D-Chowk Islamabad today at 3:00 pm at any cost.

Meanwhile, the coalition government has sealed all the roads leading to Islamabad and D-Chowk with containers in addition to enforcing Islamabad section 144 to stop the PTI’s long march.

It remains to be seen whether Imran Khan succeeds in reaching D-Chowk or whether the coalition government succeeds in stopping him.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has announced to come to Islamabad to join Haqeeqi Azadi Long March, in this regard he has also released a video message for his workers and other party leaders.

The PTI chief said, “I will leave KPK, and reach D-Chowk in Islamabad” at D-Chowk via Kashmir Road.

He further said that if your cities are far away then go to your cities, we have only one goal, our movement will continue till they give the date of the election, and they will not dissolve the government.

Imran Khan asked the PTI workers not to be afraid of being arrested. He said that nobody could make arrests in such a large number when the flood of people comes to the long march.

The former prime minister told his workers. “If we do not go out today, our future generations will not forgive us,” he added.

“Our march is not a political movement but a jihad,” he said. The PTI chairman announced that he would lead the rally from Peshawar to D-Chowk.

It is pertinent to mention here that Khan said in his video message that he will reach Islamabad D-Chowk via Kashmir Road. Earlier, he had announced that he would meet his workers on May 25 at Srinagar Highway.

On the other hand, the PML-N and the coalition government have made full preparations to stop the long march of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The Interior Ministry has called in a heavy contingent of Army and Rangers to deal with any untoward incident, while its FC and 22,000 police personnel will also be deployed at the entrances and exits of the city government. Large numbers of tear gas shells have also been provided to law enforcement personnel to disperse the crowd.

Entrance and exit routes from Ayub Chowk, Express Chowk, Nadra Chowk and Serena Chowk have been completely sealed with containers.

The Interior Ministry has implemented section 144 in Islamabad under which any kind of meeting and procession will be banned while gathering of five people in one place has been banned. The Punjab government and the Sindh government have also implemented section 144 in their respective provinces.

The road from Swabi to Islamabad has been completely sealed with containers. The road connecting Attock with Islamabad at Harupal has been closed with containers.

Police in Punjab have cracked down on PTI leaders and workers and arrested more than 400 people.

Late last night, police arrested senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Mian Mahmood Rasheed and Ijaz Chaudhry before the long march. The senior PTI leaders were arrested under Section 16 of the Maintenance of the Public Order (MPO).

Police have arrested PTI leader Pervez Khan along with five accomplices from Karachi under 16 MPO. More than 40 prominent PTI workers have been arrested from Sukkur.