Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)'s ‘thanksgiving day’ celebrations have begun at Islamabad's Parade Ground, with a jubilant Imran Khan sitting on stage along with the party's senior leadership.
The PTI chief is accompanied by party leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, and Asad Umar, along with Awami Muslim League's chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who are also expected to address the thousands of PTI supporters gathered at the ground.While addressing the gathering, Asad Umar said that the struggle which started against four flats ended on four iqamas.
He also blamed Nawaz Sharif for amassing the burden of loans on the people of Pakistan. "The debt is a national security risk for the country," he said.After Nawaz Sharif's four years in government "the income of Pakistan has reduced and losses have increased", Umar added.
After the Supreme Court (SC) disqualified Nawaz Sharif on Friday, PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced to observe a "thanksgiving day to celebrate Pakistan's victory against corruption".Three entry points have been established at the Parade Ground; one for media, one for VIPs and one for the general public.
Permission to hold the public gathering was sought in writing from the federal capital administration by PTI Islamabad chapter president Raja Khurram Nawaz, after which the administration issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the PTI for holding the rally between 4pm and 10pm.As mutually agreed with the capital administration and police, the internal security of the venue shall be the responsibility of the organisers. Meanwhile, police and law enforcement agencies are taking care of the security and traffic flow outside the venue and parking.
An official of the police said over a 1,000 personnel are performing security and traffic duties during the event.On Friday, following the apex bench's landmark verdict in the Panamagate case, Khan had termed Nawaz Sharif's disqualification as the prime minister "a victory for Pakistan", announcing to hold a Youm-i-Tashakkur (day of thanksgiving) gathering on July 30.
"Pakistan has won today," Khan had said, adding that he had no personal agenda against Nawaz Sharif. "I have known his family for 40 years, he did not take anything of mine — he had done wrong to the people of this country and that was why we wanted him to be held accountable."
This is not the first time PTI is celebrating a 'thanksgiving day'. On November 1, when the SC ordered PML-N and PTI to present their Terms of Reference for the Panama case hearing, the latter announced it will celebrate a thanksgiving day instead of holding a protest that called for a lock down of the capital. PTI had chosen Parade Ground as its venue for the celebration held on November 2.
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