- The PTI key group decides to keep the date of the protest unchanged.
- Information meeting on progress in negotiations with the government: sources.
- The leaders spoke about the meetings in Gandapur, Gohar with Imran.
Just a day before the high-profile Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, top leaders of the former ruling party decided to keep the date of the march to Islamabad unchanged, doubling down on their determination to launch the march to Islamabad. demonstration on Sunday for the release of party founder Imran Khan.
The PTI’s resolve comes days after the party’s founder, who has been incarcerated behind bars since August last year, earlier this month called for nationwide protests against allegations of voter fraud in the elections of February 8, the detention of party members and the adoption of the controversial vote of 26. Constitutional amendment. He called on his supporters to march towards Islamabad next Sunday.
A crucial meeting of the PTI central leadership was held at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s house in Peshawar on Friday evening.
Sources confirmed that the group, which included key figures from the party, concluded its deliberations regarding the protest which the party termed as “do or die” for Imran’s release.
The PTI group reached a consensus to continue the earlier decision to launch a protest on November 24.
Several senior party leaders attended the session, including former President Dr Arif Alvi, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan’s lawyer Asad Qaiser and Sheikh Waqas Akram, the sources said.
The sources also said that other prominent party leaders, including KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur and provincial government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, attended the meeting.
The meeting participants were briefed on the latest developments related to the ongoing negotiations with the federal government, according to the sources.
All efforts to make a breakthrough before the weekend protest were in vain as Imran demanded his release from Adiala prison by Friday as a precondition for calling off the march, but the government would not do so. ‘did not accept, revealed a well-informed source.
Additionally, lawyers Gohar and Gandapur shared updates on their recent meetings with the PTI founder.
Ahead of the PTI’s nationwide protest which they termed as a “last call”, the Punjab Home Ministry requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Rangers Punjab in three districts of the province – Rawalpindi, Attock and Jhelum, besides impose section 144 across the province for three days.
According to a letter sent to the Home Ministry, it has been recommended to deploy two squadrons of Rangers in Rawalpindi and Attock and one company of Rangers in Jhelum.
A spokesperson for the provincial interior ministry said the Rangers would be deployed in Rawalpindi and Attock from Friday, November 22, and would remain there until further notice.
However, it was recommended that the Rangers be deployed to Jhelum from November 22 to 27. The decision to deploy Rangers was taken on the recommendation of the district administration, the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Islamabad also imposed Section 144 for two months, banning gatherings of more than five people.
The federal capital is bracing for a potentially disruptive protest, with plans to cordon off the city using shipping containers and increased security measures.
To counter the PTI protest, more than 10,700 police officers were put on standby across Punjab.
This includes 3,500 personnel from the Punjab Highway Patrol, 1,000 from the Special Protection Unit and 1,200 from the Training Directorate.