PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi reassured the resumption of party’s much-touted anti-government long march tomorrow (Thursday), after almost a week-long pause due to PTI chair Imran Khan’s injury in an attempt on his life while his convoy passed through Wazirabad last week.
PTI has changed its plans for the third time and rescheduled the resumption of the long march for a second since the attempt on Khan’s life.
The protests against the attack “continue across Pakistan”, with PTI insisting on the registration of FIR against the assassination bid as per the demands of the victim and “independent inquiry” into the matter.
The party had rejected the FIR straight away when it was finally registered several days after the attack on Supreme Court’s orders, calling it “a mockery law”. Despite no change in PTI’s resolve in “achieving target”, survey shows most Pakistanis have rejected the march.
Read on for the latest updates from Pakistan on PTI’s long march.
November 9, Wednesday
2:30pm — PML-N leaders threatened to kill Imran Khan: Omar Cheema
Adviser to Chief Minister of Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema said PML-N leaders in Hafizabad threatened to kill Khan on stage.
Speaking with media persons, Cheema said that the situation of the country will worsen if elections are not held.
Cheema claimed that the PML-N is propagating religious hatred against Imran Khan, alleging that the interior minister was threatening the party leader even after the attack.
12:58pm— PTI senior leadership to discuss resumption of march today
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that a meeting of the workers responsible for the Lahore and Gujranwala division will take place which will be followed by a meeting of party’s senior leadership.
Fawad said that the party’s long march will resume from tomorrow. “There will be no extension in reaching Rawalpindi now and Imran Khan will be in the city with 3 million people in the third week,” he claimed.
12:05pm — Traffic jams at different spots of Rawalpindi due to PTI protests
The flow of traffic was disrupted at different spots in Rawalpindi as the PTI supporters are staging protest. Dozens of protestors present at Shamsabad blocked both tracks of the Muree road, while several others protested at Pirwadhai.
Establishment of protest camps at Pirwadhai bus stand affected the trade and transit activities. The commuters of Murree Road were forced to use service roads and streets.
11:50am — PTI to continue demonstration for third day
PTI leader Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said that the party’s sit-in will continue for the third day.
Chohan said that the PTI workers are available on the call of their leader.
He said that Imran Khan continued his struggle even after being shot and he didn’t run to London on the pretext of getting platelets.
10:30am — Qureshi assures resumption of PTI long march tomorrow
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the protests against the attempt on party chief Imran Khan’s life in Wazirabad continue across the country as the FIR registered on the case is “not acceptable”. He said that the FIR against the assassination bid should be as per the demands of the victim.
Qureshi said that all their focus is on the FIR, which was registered without listening to what the complainant has to say.
“Justice cannot be served till [Interior Minister] Rana Sanaullah remains on his post,” Qureshi said.
He said that the PTI will return only after taking the date for the next general election and the entire nation is ready for it. He said that the long march will be resumed from Wazirabad on Thursday and it will achieve its target under any circumstances.
3:00am — No one knows who is behind attack on Imran Khan: Dr Qadri
The patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Dr Tahirul Qadri said that Chairman Imran Khan would not have been assaulted had justice been done in the Model Town massacre case.
“No one knows whether friends or enemies are involved in the gun attack on the PTI chief,” he said, speaking to journalists in Toronto.
“Friends may also be involved in the attack.”
He emphasized that an accused is named in the FIR, which should be supported by evidence.
Dr Tahirul Qadri condemned the attempted assassination of Imran Khan on November 3 when the PTI chief came under a gun attack.
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the sad incident of firing at Imran Khan. I pray for the quick recovery of Imran Khan and his other party leaders who got injured in the incident,” he tweeted.