March not to end in Islamabad: Imran Khan

GUJRANWALA/LALAMUSA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday his party’s long march would not end after reaching Islamabad.

“Our movement will continue for the next 10 months until the date for elections is announced,” he told participants in the march. “We will never accept these thieves,” he reiterated, adding that it is better to die than to become slaves of the ‘thieves’.

On Wednesday morning, the PTI kicked off its long march on the sixth day at Pindi Bypass Gujranwala. Addressing the participants, Imran Khan said there was no progress in a society till there is justice.

“Non-provision of justice is our biggest problem; the ‘imported’ Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was set to be sentenced in the Rs16 billion corruption case, but he was given an ‘NRO’ [deal] by his handlers.”

Imran said, “Fifty years ago, Pakistan was developing rapidly, but later corrupt leaders stopped its progress.” He reiterated that the accountability watchdog was never under his control when the PTI was in power. Those controlling NAB saved ‘thieves’ and imposed their government on people. He said ever since the ‘thieves’ have been imposed on the country, electricity prices had been skyrocketing.

Imran Khan said the coalition government was scared as its “kanpein taang rahi hain” because “we have won Pakistan’s match”, adding that the authorities up there are “shivering and sweating” as the PTI march is nearing Islamabad.

He further said that the PTI acquired freedom while ensuring the supremacy of law, as prosperity comes with justice. In the beginning, they used to say “they are thieves. Today they say an NRO has been given; they are clean now”, Imran said apparently referring to leaders of the ruling coalition. He claimed that the incumbent government had made corruption laws that would only convict petty thieves.

Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, meanwhile addressing a press conference, said the party planned to keep changing the date on which they would reach Islamabad to exhaust the government out. “We will give a date to reach Islamabad and then change it. We will exhaust you out,” Fawad said. The politician said that the movement was a “movement of accountability” and a “movement to fix the country’s system”. He said that Khurram Dastgir should be arrested for putting up banners against Imran Khan. He also demanded that the NA speaker should accept the PTI MNAs’ resignations and hold elections.

Also, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar Wednesday released the new schedule of long march, led by party chairman Imran Khan. In a statement on Twitter, Asad Umar said that according to the new schedule of the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’, would reach Rawalpindi on Nov 10 and all convoys would reach Islamabad on Nov 11.

The PTI had started the march from Lahore on October 28 and the PTI convoy had reached Gujranwala on Tuesday. The march participants are likely to enter Gujrat on Thursday (today), and reach Jhelum on Saturday or Sunday. As per sources, Imran Khan is scheduled to stay at Kunjah House, the residence of Member of the National Assembly Chaudhry Moonis Elahi in Gujrat on Thursday night.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would accord separate receptions to the long march participants. The PMLQ would welcome the long march participants at Ramtalai Chowk Gujrat whereas the PTI Gujrat would accord a reception to the march at GTS Chowk.

Meanwhile, a boy died and another person was injured when a container, part of the PTI long march, hit their motorcycle. Sameer, along with Usman, was coming to Gujranwala on a motorcycle when the container hit them. Sameer Nawaz (19) died on-the-spot, while Usman received injuries and was rushed to hospital by Rescue-1122 team.