LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has asked his party’s Punjab chapter president to build up hype for the ‘million-man Azadi March’ scheduled for Aug 14 through setting up ‘registration camps’ in every constituency.

In a letter written to PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry, Mr Khan termed the event a defining moment in the history not only for the PTI but for Pakistan as well.

In order to mobilise the public for the movement, Mr Khan stressed that the PTI office-bearers, in collaboration with ticket holders, should organise “Azadi March registration camps” from Aug 6 to 14. He suggested that the party officials should ensure such camps in each national and provincial assembly constituency.

The party chief also asked Mr Chaudhry that details of the camp mechanics should be briefed to the office-bearers to get the required outcome.

Mr Khan said an independent monitoring and evaluation team should be constituted to file a daily progress report on camps’ effectiveness.

The PTI chief said he had full confidence in his team for making an all-out effort to make the march a turning point in the nation’s history.

Meanwhile, the Punjab chapter president has forwarded party chief’s directions to the lower formation, including regional presidents and general secretaries, stakeholders, MNAs, MPAs and respective district heads for implementation.

Mr Chaudhry has directed all the organisers to establish camps with furniture and sound system.

He said each camp should organise motorcycle rallies on a daily basis to build a momentum for the long march. Some 100,000 motorcyclists will be the part of the Azadi March, vows Mr Chaudhry.

MAHMOOD: Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed has said the party MPs will promptly respond to leadership decisions, including resigning from their assembly seats.

Dispelling the impression about party’s ‘backdoor dialogues’ with the government, he termed it PML-N’s disinformation tactics. Mr Rasheed said party chief Imran Khan believed in front-foot politics.

“The prime minister, the Punjab chief minister as well as federal and provincial cabinets have forgotten the Independence Day celebrations and are planning to block the Azadi March,” the opposition leader said.

HARASSMENT: PTI Lahore President Abdul Aleem Khan has alleged the district administration and police have started harassing party workers by raiding their houses. He said the party was fully prepared to deal with such tactics.

Aleem Khan said Imran would address party workers at PTI’s Lahore office in Gulberg on Sunday (today).

Published in Dawn, Aug 3rd, 2014