Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has started gearing up for country-wide demonstrations on the day the Supreme Court announces its verdict in the Panama Papers case, Daily Times has learnt.

Lahore-based sources in the party say that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf general secretary Jahangir Tareen has been advised by the party chief, Imran Khan, to mobilise workers for these rallies against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sources in the party say that the chairman has decided that all preparations should be completed ahead of time so that rallies could be called immediately after the SC announces its verdict.

They say the decision has been taken in consultation with the party leadership who have been asked to cooperate with Tareen to make these rallies successful.

The party has decided that rallies would be held on the day of the verdict regardless of specific content of the verdict. If the SC verdict is not in accordance with the party’s expectations, the rallies will take place, as planned, but in a different mood, compared to the mood that will characterise rallies following an anti-Nawaz verdict. Such a verdict will see Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rallies in all out support of the judiciary, sources add.

Jahangir Tareen has started reaching out to party contacts in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar, Karachi, Hyderabad, Bahawalpur, Layyah, Multan, Faisalabad, Mardan, Sawabi, Jehlum, Sargodha, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Noshehra, Gojra, Khanewal, Chakwal, Okara, Sahiwal, Kasur, and Muzaffargarh districts.

In Lahore, Abdul Aleem Khan and Shoaib Sadiqui have been tasked with the responsibility of mobilising the party cadre. Khan and Sadiqui have activated PTI’s youth wing in the city for holding motorbike rallies on a notice of half an hour following the announcement of the verdict.

Political pundits expect that the SC will announce the verdict in another couple of days.

Published in Daily Times, July 25^th 2017.