After two postponements, the rally of PTI was finally staged at Sanjani on 8 Sept. In anticipation of the hooliganism of PTI activists, the Govt was quick to issue the ‘Peaceful Assembly & Public Order Bill’, duly signed by the President to regulate public gatherings.
Although yesterday’s public meeting has fizzled out without further loss of lives and injuries, two versions of the gathering are in circulation.
The govt circles are saying that it was a flop show, the total strength was not more than a few thousand, and the people of Punjab, particularly from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, had stayed away. They claim that major participants were from KP which mostly included the Afghans.
They say that the PTI organizers despite their commitment didn’t adhere to the NOC and deliberately broke the rules & regulations. They passed pungent remarks that the so-called revolution for Haqiqi Azadi had evaporated in thin air.
They are alleging that the illegal route leading to Chungi # 26, which became the battleground, was mostly used by the Afghans and TTP elements to disturb law and order. They speculate that their mission was to create anarchy, convert the meeting into a sit-in, and force the government to release IK from jail.
Their assertions seem weighty when seen in context with the virulent statements of PTI leaders. Not a single conciliatory message was given by any. A two-week deadline for the release of IK was given by Gandapur. He threatened that if he was not released, the party workers would get him released on their own.
Plans are afoot to stage the next power show in Punjab which they feel will be decisive. Gandapur threatened to invade Punjab. Marwat chimed that a force of 50,000 will be brought from KP.
In response to the vitriolic remarks of CM KP Gandapur, Punjab’s Information Minister Uzma Bukhari remarked that Gandapur doesn’t understand the language of Ikhlaq and Tehzeeb. Hence he will be replied to in the language which he understands.
She sarcastically added that he was the same Gandapur who was carrying a bottle of honey in his hand and fleeing from the scene after he was chased by a policeman. She said that Punjab Police is famous for dousing the drunkenness of a drunkard swiftly.
She further lambasted him by saying that by giving a reference to Bangladesh and threatening to attack Punjab with the Lashkar of Pashtuns, he forgets that he has failed to restore peace in his province.
The PTI, its supporters, the PTI-affiliated media, and journalists including the foreign-based vloggers are stating that it was a resounding success and the attendance was in Lacs despite the blockades and hurdles created.
PTI is extremely apprehensive of the legislative bills concerning the judiciary, which the federal govt intends to table soon, and it claims that it has mustered a two-thirds majority and is in a position to amend the constitution. PTI leaders have vowed to block the intended bills.
Both sides showed old videos to authenticate their claims of the public gathering. The size of the gathering is not the yardstick to measure the popularity or vote bank of a political party. JI has been attracting bigger crowds, and so is JUI F. The latter held a huge public gathering in Lahore yesterday which ended up peacefully.
The sort barrage of stones hurled by the people traveling on a prohibited route leading to the venue indicated that they were carrying bagfuls of stones. The police resorted to teargas shelling after they were intensely stoned, and some of them including the SSP were injured.
The Police and the interior minister were in an uncompromising posture and wanted to disperse the meeting at the earliest. The police have registered FiRs against the violators and miscreants.
Both sides were in a truculent mode. PTI refused to call off the meeting after the expiry of the cut-off time of 7 pm since Gandapur arrived late and delivered his menacing speech.
I wonder if the next meeting will be allowed in Lahore by the Punjab Govt after the diatribe of Gandapur against Punjab and Maryam! Protestors from KP may not be allowed to cross the Attock Bridge, as it was done in Oct 2016.
While the hullabaloo had been going on since Sunday morning, another story of IK’s linkage with Israel and the latter’s support for him was revealed by the Israeli media.
The Times of Israel wrote an article in favor of IK saying that he can fix its relations with Pakistan.
It gave sufficient ammunition to IK’s detractors to fire volleys on him. They are saying that what had all along been speculated that IK is an agent of the Jews has finally come true and that he is an Israeli brand. They quoted the prophecies made by Dr. Israr and Hakeem Saeed about IK.
They are connecting the dots with his initial linkage with Gold Smith, his daughter Jemima, funding of cancer hospital, his media glorification, 9 May vandalism, and his efforts to draw a wedge between the people and the army and to trigger a mutiny in the army.
IK is already being accused of his secret connections with the banned TTP and with the IEA regime in Kabul, and the role he played in resettling 5 to 6000 terrorists in 2021, due to which the almost-dead terrorism resurfaced.
It has now been established that the Afghan Govt is letting the TTP indulge in cross-border terrorism, and in many attacks, Afghan nationals were also involved.
Coincidentally, yesterday’s skirmish between the Afghan Taliban fighters and the Pak forces along the border in Kurram district bordering Khost province coincided with PTI’s rally. The other side attempted to set up a checkpost on this side of the border, which was resisted, and in the exchange of fire, Afghans suffered heavy losses.
