Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bigwigs have decided not to hold an Islamabad-like sit-in at Adda Plot, Raiwind – the venue decided for holding a public protest scheduled on September 30 – near the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

According to sources, the PTI has decided to hold a peaceful protest at Raiwind but warned that any kind of ‘Gullucracy’ by activists of the ruling PML-N will be dealt with an iron hand as over 7,000 youth from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will participate in the march.

They said the district administration has allowed the PTI to hold a peaceful demonstration at Raiwind. In this connection, they said, the PTI leadership, who has been assigned the task to make arrangements for holding the public gathering, visited Adda Plot twice on Friday to check security arrangements there. Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) Captain (r) Usman, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Captain (r) Amin Wains and DPO Lahore also visited the area.

When asked about the option of holding an Islamabad-like sit-in that was initially planned, they said such suggestions were received from some party corners but the top leadership discarded it as it could create turmoil and anarchy that was “against the party’s policy”.

They said the PTI’s local leaders had submitted a complaint to police against Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri and federal minister Abid Sher Ali for allegedly threatening the party against the march on Raiwind.

It may be mentioned that the PTI has established some 13 committees based on every National Assembly constituency in Lahore as part of preparations for the Raiwind march. The committees would establish at least six camps at some prominent places in each constituency.