Long march a real test for Lahore PTI

LAHORE

On the one hand the long march call for September 30 by PTI Chairman Imran Khan has charged the party camp, but on the other hand the call has put the new Lahore party organisations to the test. 

The PTI has decided to march towards Raiwind and hold a public gathering a few kilometres from the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against Panama Leaks. 

The PTI chairman Sunday directed all party workers from all parts of the country to reach Raiwind. The PTI leadership claims that it will be a historic show. The party leaders and workers may find it hard to have access to Raiwind due to possible placement of containers, barriers and barbed-wires. 

In the last PTI-PAT rally on the Mall, both the parties failed to attract a robust crowd and the opposition parties slammed the Punjab government for blocking ways of protesters in the name of security.

Keeping in view the situation, the entire burden shifts towards the PTI Lahore chapters, particularly the Rural organisation which is led by the members of two noted political groups of the bordering areas of the district including Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Ejaz Dayal. The Urban Lahore chapter is led by Waleed Iqbal whereas Hammad Azhar, the PTI ticket-holder from NA-121 and son of former Punjab Governor Mian Azhar, is serving as general secretary.

The PTI in past has been successful in holding massive public gatherings in Lahore, including the one on October 30, 2011 after which PTI emerged on a political scene as a popular party. However, for the last couple of years, it hasn’t been able to maintain its momentum owing to multiple reasons and the latest call by Imran Khan to march towards Raiwind over the issue of Panama Leaks is a real testing phase for the party to make a comeback. 

Insiders stated that the Rural Lahore chapters have been directed by the top party leadership to gather maximum people and each National Assembly constituency organisation has been asked to come up with at least 25,000 people. Four National Assembly constituencies including NA-127, NA-128, NA129 and NA-130 pertain to the rural parts of Lahore where PTI, somehow has a better position as compared to the other parts of city due to the presence of the noted groups of Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Ejaz Dayal in the group. The sitting president of the PTI Rural Lahore chapter, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, won from NA-128 in the 2002 general elections but after few days, he turned his coat towards PPP-Patriot. By 2009, he joined PTI and also contested a by-polls from a provincial seat on PTI ticket which he lost with a narrow margin amid rigging allegations. The march venue pertains to the area where he has been active in politics for over a decade.

Talking to The News, president PTI Rural Lahore Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar said that wind of change had started and caravans of PTI activists would march towards Raiwind as per the announcement of the chairman. To a question about the threats by PML-N activists, Malik Zaheer Abbas said threats were nothing new to PTI as when it was staging a historic sit in a couple of years ago in Islamabad, it was constantly under threat but it never deviated from its stand. Similarly, he said like the Islamabad sit in, PTI had a peaceful plan to hold the long march the threats by some elements merely reflected the frustration of their leadership whose days are numbered now. Member Executive Committee PTI Rural Lahore, Naveed Ashiq Dayal, son of former MNA of 1990, 1997 Ashiq Dayal while talking to The News said that entire party was united under the leadership of Imran Khan and the September 30 gathering would prove it. Naveed, who also got elected MPA in the 2006 by polls, stated that the crowd from Rural Lahore would march towards Raiwind on the call of party chairman and stated the party would continue its struggle until the dream of a corruption free society was materialised.

President PTI Urban Lahore Waleed Iqbal while talking to The News stated that PTI workers will reach Raiwind from all over Pakistan on the call of the party chairman. He advised the government to avoid the path of confrontation which might prove detrimental to it, adding the PTI never encouraged violence in politics but at the same time, the government should also feel its responsibility while controlling those who were giving open threats to the party. 

He dispelled the impression that last PTI-PAT rally was unsuccessful and stated that crowed in good number turned up to the venue despite all hurdles.