LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry said the party’s Aug 14 ‘long march’ will overcome all hurdles allegedly being created by the PML-N government.

Speaking at a ceremony to distribute notifications to office-bearers of the PTI Minority Wing Punjab on Saturday, Chaudhry said PTI workers were determined and over a million of them would march on Islamabad.

Stating that holding a peaceful protest was their constitutional right, he claimed a minister had said the government would organise a function at D-Chowk.

Chaudhry said the PML-N government had not learnt its lesson from the Model Town incident. He said a first information report would be lodged against the government, impartial inquiries conducted and those responsible brought to book.

Chaudhry acknowledged PTI Minority Wing Punjab President Shunila Ruth’s assertion that 50,000 minority members would participate in the march. He also presented a resolution condemning Israeli attacks on unarmed Palestinians and demanded the world community, United Nations and OIC immediately ensure a halt to the violation of human rights and killings of Palestinians.

The newly notified PTI Minority Wing Punjab office-bearers included Mahinder Pal Singh and Tariq Javed (senior vice presidents), Philomena Bhatti, Nawal Kishore and Samar Nazar (vice presidents), Ijaz Alam (deputy general secretary), Arsalan William (joint secretary), Shahid Azeem (information secretary), S.M. Sabir (media secretary), Josephine (finance secretary), Sunil Arshad (youth secretary) and Farzana Bhatti (women secretary).

On this occasion, PPP President from Youhanabad Younas Fazal announced joining the PTI along with his supporters.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2014