File photo of PTI Chairman Imran Khan
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar on Wednesday shared his party’s schedule for its upcoming long march, saying it would begin from Lahore on Oct. 28 (Friday) and conclude in the federal capital on Nov. 4 (Friday).
In a series of posts on Twitter, he said the participants of PTI’s long march would gather at Lahore’s Liberty Chowk under the leadership of its chairman, Imran Khan, on Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. The first day of the long march, he said, would remain focused on Lahore, with the protesters traveling from Liberty Chowk to Ichhra, Mozang, and Data Darbar via Ferozpur Road until they reached Azadi Chowk. The march would then conclude for the day, he said, adding that it would resume toward Islamabad the next day, Oct. 29, via the Grant Trunk Road.
Subsequently, per Umar, the march would continue daily, stopping in Muridke, Kamonki, Gujranwala, Daska, Sialkot, Sambaryal, Wazirabad, Gujarat, Lala Musa, Kharian, Jhelum, Gujar Khan, and Rawalpindi before finally concluding in Islamabad. Smaller convoys from other parts of the country, he said, would also reach Islamabad the same day.
“It is time for Pakistan’s true freedom,” he said, adding that the PTI had already submitted an application to the district administration to hold a rally and sit-in at Islamabad from Nov. 4 in the “ground between G9 and H9.” The application, which Umar shared on his Twitter account, has requested the district commissioner to ensure security measures for the “peaceful” public gathering.
Earlier, Khan met with his party’s parliamentary members and stressed that the long march was a “higher calling” and not a mere protest. Claiming the party wouldn’t even need an election campaign after the march, he reiterated claims that it would be peaceful and would not trigger any unrest.
“There will be a rally every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will march during the day and stop at night. Every evening, people from the respective districts will stay together,” he said, adding that all responsibilities to ensure the success of the long march had already been delegated. Stressing that everyone’s “performance” would be reviewed, he claimed that this would determine who would be granted a party ticket in the next election.
According to a statement, Khan claimed that after the Supreme Court ruling, any attempts by the government to halt it would be considered contempt of court. Reminding his followers that they had already staged a sit-in for 126 days in 2014, he claimed this one would be significantly shorter.