The PTI’s protracted march, which has so far been peaceful, came to a conclusion on Saturday in Ferozewala with the party and the government still at odds.
Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, has refused to back down. In a speech to attendees on the second day, the former premier said he would not allow “thieves” to run the nation and urged people to “snatch” freedom.
As Khan raises the stakes, the government has also ruled off negotiations with the opposition party, branding the PTI chairman “a fitna (chaos monger)”.
On Saturday, Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of information, firmly disallowed any discussions with Khan, declaring that the latter “does not want transparent elections but anarchy and violence in the country.”
According to the party’s senior leader Fawad Chaudhry, the march’s second day came to an end at Ferozwala and would continue tomorrow at 11 a.m. from Muridke.
After being expelled by a vote of no-confidence earlier this year, the PTI head is making his second march on Islamabad.
Economic uncertainty in Pakistan has also been exacerbated by the country’s political unrest, with foreign rating agencies doubting whether the present administration can sustain its stringent economic policies in the face of mounting political pressure and impending elections.
