Azadi march to reach Islamabad on Nov 4: Asad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan would reach Islamabad on Nov 4, leading the real freedom march via Jhelum, Gujjar Khan and Rawalpindi.

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said here that a request for ground between G-9 and H-9 has been sent to the deputy commissioner, Islamabad, for the rally/sit-in at the culmination of the march.

Sharing the details of the march, he said that the march would depart from Lahore on Oct 29 and would pass through Muridke, Kamoke, Gujranwala, Daska and Sialkot. Apart from this, the long march would pass through Sambrial, Wazirabad, Gujarat, Lala Musa and Kharian. The PTI senior leader said convoys from all over Pakistan would reach Islamabad on Nov 4.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the PTI submitted to the Islamabad administration an application for permission for holding a rally/ sit-in in the federal capital. An application, signed by Islamabad Region President Ali Nawaz Awan, said the PTI, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, would have its events in connection with the real freedom march near the Srinagar Highway on Saturday.

In the petition, he said the Supreme Court allotted the place of H-9 for protests and “we will sit there as per law”. “Holding a peaceful protest and sit-in is our constitutional and legal right and we will exercise this legal right. The real Azadi march will be the biggest and successful march in the history of Pakistan, which will give a new direction to the country’s history and rid Pakistan of traditional politicians,” he claimed. He appealed to people to come out of their homes to fully support the march and welcome millions of participants to the city so that the dream of establishing an independent Pakistan could be realised. Separately, PTI Senior Vice President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain criticised the government and said that the authorities seemed terrified of the dead body of Arshad Sharif, as they were constantly changing the location of the ambulance as if he would stand up. In a statement, Fawad said that late at night, he was waiting for the body of Arshad Sharif at the airport but the authorities were constantly changing the location of the ambulance so that people could not gather there and also making films.