Daily Times

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Umar Sarfraz, and Waleed Iqbal will surrender to the police along with 200 party members today (Wednesday), starting the first phase of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Jail Bharo Tehreek (court arrest drive).

At 2 pm, the PTI employees will gather at Chairing Cross and submit to arrest.

In the first phase, the mid-tier leadership of the party including former Punjab governor Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Waleed Iqbal, former provincial minister Murad Raas, Muhammad Khan Madni, Fawad Rasool Bhakkar along with 200 PTI activists will surrender to the authorities.

Imran Khan appeals people to fill jails

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in a special video message on Twitter, appealed to the Pakistani nation to fill up jails and shatter the idols of fear for achieving “real independence”.

This movement, the former prime minister, will take you to an independent and prosperous Pakistan. “This will happen only when a state will safeguard your fundamental rights,” he added.

The Jail Bharo Tahreek is a name of a Jehad, he said, adding “The more you people join it the sooner we will achieve our objective.”

In a couple of separate tweets, Imran Khan said “Today we start our Jail Bharo campaign for Haqeeqi Azadi for two main reasons: One, it is a peaceful, non-violent protest against the attack on our constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights.”

He further said, “We are facing sham FIRs & NAB cases, custodial torture, attacks on journalists & social media people.”

The PTI chief said, “Two, it is against the economic meltdown brought on by cabal of crooks who have money laundered billions in looted wealth and gotten NROs for themselves while crushing the people, especially the poor and the middle class, under the burden of spiraling inflation and rising unemployment.”

In a statement, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said four other PTI leaders would surrender themselves along with him and if the police didn’t arrest them they will make another attempt from Multan.

In Lahore, Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, and Fawad Chaudhry will also be present on the occasion.

Taking to its Twitter handle, the PTI urged its workers to show courage and fill up jails.

In his Twitter message, Umar Cheema said that all PTI workers would first assemble at party’s central office on Jail Road at 11 am today.

The PTI workers have made full preparations to go to jail on the directions of their chairman.