Long March: Imran Khan gives six-day ultimatum to govt to announce elections

ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan gave six-day ultimatum to the federal government to dissolve assemblies and announce fresh elections.

Addressing the participants of the ‘Azadi March’ at Jinnah Avenue, Imran Khan said the government tried every method to crush our march, they used teargas on peaceful protest, our homes were raided and privacy of the homes were violated.

Imran Khan said three PTI workers lost their lives in Karachi while two workers were thrown off Ravi Bridge and thousands of others were arrested.

Giving a deadline to the government to announce the date for fresh polls in the country, Imran Khan said, “he is giving a six-day ultimatum to the government to dissolve assemblies and announce general elections in June.”

“My message for imported government is to dissolve assemblies and announce elections, otherwise I will come back again to Islamabad after six days,” he added.

Sit-in at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi ends

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday ended its sit-in at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi following the ultimatum from former prime minister Imran Khan to the government.

Imran Khan gave a six-day ultimatum to the federal government to dissolve assemblies and announce fresh elections.

PTI was observing sit-in at M.A Jinnah Road from yesterday’s evening against the torture over PTI workers by the government enroute to Islamabad from Peshawar.

The traffic police said M.A Jinnah Road has been opened for the traffic after the end of the sit-in.

Govt summons army 

As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s caravan finally reached Islamabad as a part of his party’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’, the federal government authorized deployment of army in the capital’s red zone to “protect important government buildings”.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah tweeted a notification saying the government was “pleased to authorise the deployment” of the army in Red Zone under Article 245 of the Constitution.

Among the buildings that will be protected are the Supreme Court, Parliament House, Prime Minister House, Presidency, Pakistan Secretariat and Diplomatic enclaves,” the notification states.

Chairman PTI @ImranKhanPTI in Islamabad!! #حقیقی_آزادی_مارچ #SaluteToMarchers pic.twitter.com/cxUFKUDnbM

— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 25, 2022

Imran Khan’s supporters and party workers have already reached the capital’s famous D-Chowk and have been waiting for their leader amid police brutality.

ابھی تو خان پہنچا بھی نہیں D-Chowk اور یہ حال ہے#حقیقی_آزادی_مارچ pic.twitter.com/Q6GJt3Erjl

— Dr Arslan Khalid (@arslankhalid_m) May 25, 2022

Earlier, police officials rained tear gas on  party workers and supporters numerous times.

Due to heavy tear gas shelling, PTI leader Aliya Hamza Malik, Munawara Bibi Baloch, Nausheen Hamid and Ghazala Saifee fell unconscious. Several women protestors fell unconscious after inhaling tear gas fired by riot police at D-Chowk.

Police fired tear gas shells directly on the protestors including women and children in another attempt to disperse them. A citizen said that police officers are also using rubber bullets.

Moreover, a police team started pelting stones at the vehicles of the citizens arriving at the venue.

READ: SC ALLOWS PTI TO STAGE PROTEST AT ISLAMABAD’S H-9, STOPS GOVT FROM RAIDS

Not only the PTI marchers but the residents of G6, G5 and G7 at Embassy Road, Parliament Lodges, Melody and suburban areas were also affected by the heavy tear gas.

The central convoy of PTI Chairman Imran Khan has entered the premises of Islamabad which will arrive at D-Chowk in a while.

Earlier, it was learnt that the police completed preparations for an operation to disperse Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Red Zone during the ongoing long march.

The police teams have been given another stock of tear gas shells.

The PTI long march’s venue, D-Chowk, is being surrounded by the police team, whereas, standby reserve police rejected to reach the venue due to the unavailability of sufficient equipment of anti-riot. The officials have gathered outside the Aabpara police station.

READ: IMRAN KHAN: ‘ALL PAKISTANIS MUST COME OUT FOR HAQEEQI AZADI MARCH AFTER SC RULING’

It is important to mention here that the Islamabad administration closed all exit routes of the Red Zone which left the lawmakers and media teams besieged there.

The administration sealed the only entrance and exit route of Red Zone at Margalla Road via placing containers.

A huge number of party workers headed to the capital today on party chief Imran Khan’s call but they were either detained by police and law enforcement agencies while many faced blockades that they themselves had to remove to reach their destination.

The situation aggravated but then the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the police to release all PTI workers and supporters and make all arrangements for the PTI rally in Islamabad at their desired venue.