Daily Times

Ousted prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan Thursday gave the coalition government an ultimatum to announce fresh elections within six days or else the ‘entire nation’ will march back to the federal capital.

Delivering an impassioned speech, Imran claimed that he was giving the government enough time to hold general elections in June. “It is my duty to unite the nation. I am grateful that the nation has united against the ‘imported government’,” he said. He accused the rulers of coming into power to dismiss cases of corruption against them. “You have not come to run the country,” he thundered. Referring to the judgment passed by the Supreme Court, the PTI chief said his ‘peaceful’ protests could not be legally hindered by the federal government. Imran said he would gather two million people in the federal capital for his cause.

The former prime minister along with other party leaders Wednesday reached Islamabad after PTI workers and supporters made their way towards the federal capital, pushing aside containers and braving tear gas shelling, says a news report.

As the chairman’s caravan made its way to the D-Chowk after entering Islamabad, the federal government called in the Pakistan Army for the security of the capital’s Red Zone.

The decision was taken for protection of important government buildings, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Parliament House, Presidency, Prime Minister Office and others. As Imran Khan’s long march ended, the situation in the twin cities began to return to normal. With PTI workers leaving Islamabad’s Blue Area in convoys, the lack of transport caused problems for them.

The administration and police began removing obstacles to re-open the Murree Road and other highways.

According to reports, party workers severely damaged property in the Blue Area, setting fire to trees and burning telephone wires. The protest also resulted in pollution of the environment as garbage, including food waste was left scattered. Departments, including the Capital Development Authority, have begun the rehabilitation work.

The Islamabad Police also reported that the party workers had entered the Red Zone after Imran gave a six-day deadline to the government.

“Police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies stopped them with great restraint,” the spokesperson said.

The PTI sit-in at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi ended at 8 am on Thursday.

Former federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi had appealed to the participants to not leave until Imran Khan’s order, to which the participants had agreed.

After the PTI leader’s announcement to end the sit-in in Islamabad, the party’s Karachi President Bilal Ghaffar thanked the participants at the square and announced to end the sit-in, following which the workers dispersed.

The KMC personnel reached the spot and completed the cleaning work. Later, the traffic police restored the flow of traffic on both roads.