Islamabad: Police, in action, in the federal capital on Saturday forbade hotels and guesthouses from housing participants in the long march, organized by the former Prime Minister Imran Khan to pressure the government into setting a date for early general elections.
According to reports, the Islamabad police instructed hotel and guest house owners not to welcome lengthy marchers in a warning they sent out.
The police say that every hotel and guest home in Islamabad will get a comprehensive inspection each day. The city police will take stern measures if anyone is found to be disobeying the orders.
Today at 11 a.m. from Lahore’s Shahdara, the Imran Khan-led PTI long march will resume its journey toward Islamabad where it left off after Friday prayers (Saturday).
At the conclusion of the first day of the anti-government protest, PTI Chairman Imran Khan called an end to the long march. After traveling through Mozang, Icchra, and the Ferozepur Road, the arduous march finished in Shahdara.
Video montage of Long March’s first day! Shukriya Lahore! #حقیقی_آزادی_لانگ_مارچ pic.twitter.com/iFJhGy5xHx
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 29, 2022
Imran Khan told the marchers at the Data Darbar in Lahore that he was confident Lahore would never let him down.
Talking to a local news channel, Imran Khan said to a journalist, “As to what would happen when we reach Islamabad, you have to wait as to what I decide after reaching Islamabad.”
“I want our army to become a strong institution and that no harm comes it’s the way. I want to say a lot and I can say a lot, but I don’t want Pakistan’s enemies to take advantage of it. I don’t want anything I say to cause any damage to the army,” he said.
Additionally, he claimed that the country was unified and had made the decision not to accept the “robbers foisted on them by a foreign conspiracy.”
“And as this march moves towards Islamabad, it will become clear to all where the nation is standing — they want free and fair elections and will not accept these robbers under any circumstances,” he said.
He claimed that the PTI’s demand was for early elections in a recent interview as “Elections are what we want, not Army meddling”, Khan said. He said that the “party has just begun” in response to a query about the plan.
As per yesterday’s notification, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) directed the television networks not to broadcast speeches by PTI officials or the long march in real-time.
According to the PEMRA, during a speech, it was noted that “statements against state institutions were aired live” in defiance of the code of conduct and court orders. It issued a warning that failure to comply would result in legal action, which could result in license suspensions or revocations.
