Azadi March, Inqilab March move towards Red Zone
PTI, PAT chiefs have assured that the participants will remain peaceful.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The participants of Azadi March and Inqilab March have started moving towards Parliament House.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri announced to hold sit-ins outside Parliament House.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan told the ‘Azadi March’ participants to follow his lead and to remain peaceful.
He warned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will not be spared if violence on civilians takes place.
He made the crowd take the verbal oath on three terms
(1) We will remain peaceful, we won’t go towards the diplomatic enclave.
(2) We will start civil disobedience that will cripple this government.
(3) Taking revenge by not sparing Nawaz Sharif if anything happens to Imran Khan.
“Listen, I don’t want anarchy or violence, you have parents, I am also like your parent. Promise me you’ll be peaceful, raise your hands,” Khan told the crowd.
Imran Khan alerted the crowd that of his claim that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has several ‘Gullu Butts’ deployed in plain clothes to attack the marchers.
Khan warned by saying “Nawaz Sharif if you’re watching this from your den, listen to what I have to say: I won’t spare you if any kind of violence takes place… I’ll follow you to England if I have to. Don’t think for a second you’ll be spared if you shed blood. I’ll not spare you until I put you in prison. Tell your ‘Gullu Butts’ not to commit any kind of violence.”
PTI chief asked the police officers not to listen to the orders and commands of the government.
“Listen to me o Pakistani policemen, I know they have brought you here from the whole country. I am saying this to you for the first time, listen to the voice of your consciences and don’t accept the orders of the corrupt leaders”, he said.
Imran Khan lamented the government’s policy of forbidding entrance into the Red Zone area by saying the Red Zone is part of Pakistan and not of India that it is out of bounds. “We’re not terrorists”, he said.
“We care and respect the diplomatic enclave, we’ll not go there… we’ll not touch the diplomatic enclave”, he assured.
“We’ll turn the Red Zone into green zone,” he said.
He warned Prime Minister by saying “the money that you’ve earned through corruption can’t stop the flood of people”.
“How long will you keep oppressing the public?” He asked.
“You tell me that anyone can gather a crowd to oust a government, listen to me Nawaz, I dare you to gather 500 people without the support from Patwaris.”
He said he had warned the government he won’t be able to stop the crowd after the two-day deadline. “Therefore Chaudhry Nisar, history will decide whether you stand by the oppressed nation or the most corrupt government. Either you side with us or them”, he said.
“People will forget Tahrir Square after we move in front of the parliament house.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri’s ‘people’s parliament’ comprising the protestors in Islamabad decided to move the sit-in ‘peacefully’ to the Parliament House situated in the Red Zone area.
“Would you like to move in front of Parliament House?” Qadri asked the charged crowd and heard a loud ‘yes’ in response.
“You want formation of national government and green revolution?” he asked.
“Yes” the crowd shouted.
“Do you want extremely transparent accountability of public office bearers who are involved in corruption? Do you want the twelve point agenda for alleviation of poverty? Do you want reforms package as I already mentioned?” he asked and heard a loud ‘yes’ as response from the crowd.
The crowd said they don’t believe in the current regime.
The crowd also shouted ‘no’ to terrorism, extremism, sectarianism, and to corruption.
“People’s parliament has given their decision. All of us surrender in front of the judgment given by this parliament. Are we unanimous on this resolution or divided? Raise your hands” he asked and received a vocal and positive response.
“The decisions have been made by the people’s parliament and are now being announced. The ‘Inqilab March’s’ sit-in will now move in front of the Parliament House on the Constitutional Avenue.”
Urging the marchers to remain peaceful while moving in front of the Parliament House, he said “I command you and order you that the sit-in in front of the Parliament House will be peaceful.”
“Constitution allows you to go and sit-in wherever you want as long as there’s no violence…promise me you’ll be peaceful, no violence, no breech of law. We have always remained peaceful and will continue to do so. Don’t move until permitted” he said while directing the crowd.
Qadri said that many political parties have previously staged protests in front of the parliament including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).
He said PAT has previously staged the protests in the past, adding that they have been peaceful.
“We also have the same right to sit there and protest peacefully”, he said.
“PTI also protested and demonstrated in front of the Election Commission in 2013, they were allowed to do so, we have the same right to do so.”
Qadri said that the previous government led by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had allowed them to stage sit-in on the Constitutional Avenue.
“If you remain peaceful, there’s no constitutional obstacle in your way”, Qadri told the crowd.
“When all of these protests have taken place in front of the Parliament House and when written law of the land doesn’t prohibit it then every citizen has the right to protest peacefully there.”
Urging the crowd to refrain from violence, Qadri said “we want peace and discipline; no one is to move without permission.”
“We’re peaceful people and my fatwa comprising 600 pages is to save lives and not to take them. We are the protectors of human lives”, he added.
PAT chief insisted that “Sharif brothers have become murderers, violent and terrorists and thus have no right to remain in power.”
Qadri forbade the marchers from going in front of the embassies, diplomatic buildings and Supreme Court. He told the government that PAT marchers have no intention of committing any act of violence.
“We want to tell the government that we have no intention of violence…this is the categorical declaration” he said.
“Every individual participating in this march is peaceful and will remain peaceful. I urge the government to let the marchers in front of the parliament house.”
Giving personal guarantee, he said “I am giving you my personal guarantee that every participant of Inqilab March will remain peaceful”.
“Remove the containers and other barriers and let us in without any obstacles. The police and other security forces must not spread violence. They must not hit the unarmed civilians,” he urged the law enforcement.
“Don’t shed blood on the land of Islamabad. We don’t want any violence or bloodshed on our beloved capital Islamabad.”
On the other hand, Pak Army have been deployed in the federal capital’s Red Zone.
According to ISPR, the army have been deployed in the Red Zone on Federal government’s request.
ISPR further said that additional troops are also being deployed to reinforce existing deployment.
Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said that the government had decided to handover the security of the Red Zone area to the army, insisting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan not to opt the path of violence.
“The army needs your support, don’t opt the path of violence”, he urged Imran Khan.
“The army will be guarding the vital installations among others.”
He said Imran Khan gave him his word that the marchers will not move into the Red Zone.
“Don’t set wrong examples”, he told Imran Khan while urging him not to resort to the politics of ‘violence’.
“At least talk to the opposition committees if you don’t want to talk to us”, he urged.
“Your way leads towards violence…don’t call your agenda democracy, come out if you don’t believe in democratic value.”
“I want to tell you to opt for the democratic path and not for violence…parliament is elected by the people and it is sacred. Parliament is not something that anyone can start on roads”, he said.
“You were the champion of new politics, you mobilized the youth and a chunk of new voters…I was always inspired by your intentions. It is the first time that I am doubtful about your intentions”, he said.
“A true leader shows the new path and leads the nation into the new horizons.”
The interior minister insisted that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz did not have anything to do with the administration and management of the elections 2013. He said the government is willing to probe twenty constituencies instead of four, as originally called for by the PTI.
“Long march has troubled lives and businesses in Islamabad”, he said urging PTI chief to not to proceed towards the Red Zone.
Chaudhry Nisar said that the government provided complete security to both marches despite severe reservations.
He made it clear that the demands of toppling the government cannot be accepted at all.
