Pakistan: PTI resumes long march after Imran Khan's assassination attempt
Nov 10, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], November 10 : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, resumed its march to the capital Thursday after the protest procession was interrupted last week, following an assassination bid on the party leader Imran Khan.
"The journey of real Azadi March has started again from Wazirabad. Our commitment is firm and our spirits are high. The hard work of our soldiers and the sacrifice of our martyrs will definitely pay off. Come on guys! Inshallah Chairman Imran Khan himself will lead this convoy from Rawalpindi," former Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi tweeted.
Thousands of opposition supporters gathered in the city of Wazirabad in the province of Punjab ahead of the protest march.
Qureshi, the former foreign minister, addressed the crowd, promising that Imran Khan would take over as the leader of the march from Rawalpindi, the twin city of Islamabad.
Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was shot in the legs on November 3, six days into the protest march. On Wednesday, he accused a senior army officer, Major General Faisal Naseer, of being behind the attempt on his life.
As the PTI resumed its "Haqeeqi Azadi march," the provincial government of Punjab sent 1,542 personnel along with officers in four provinces districts to ensure security arrangements are in place, the Dawn newspaper reported.
According to the directive issued by the additional inspector general of police (PHP) to divisional police chiefs, among the 1,542 PHP personnel, 500 shall be kept at Gujrat Police Lines as IGP Reserve as long as the long march is in the jurisdiction of Gujrat Region to tackle any emergency situation.
On Tuesday, PTI announced that its long march will be resuming at 1 pm from Wazirabad Allahwale Chowk on Thursday. Incidentally, it happens to be the same spot where former prime minister Imran Khan was shot at while carrying out his long march.
"Pakistan get ready!!! God willing, on Thursday, November 10, at 1:00 p.m., the Haqeeqi Azadi Long March will resume its journey from Wazirabad Allahwale Chowk," PTI tweeted.
The date of the long march has been changed thrice.
Earlier on Monday, Qureshi had said the party's long march, which was halted after an assassination attempt on Imran Khan, will be resumed on Thursday instead of Tuesday as earlier announced.
