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Rawalpindi, Nov 26 (PTI) Imran Khan arrived in the garrison city of Rawalpindi by helicopter on Saturday, accompanied by a team of doctors, to tackle a large rally organized by his party, which has not been seen since the former prime minister. First rally bid since injured in assassination.
Khan, 70, who is recovering from gunshot wounds he was shot on Nov. 3, will address supporters in Rawalpindi, calling for new general elections and reiterating that the protests will be “totally peaceful”.
Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Justice Instigation (PTI) party, landed here on the helipad at Barani University, from where he will travel to the rally venue.
PTI leader Faisal Javid said Khan had arrived in Rawalpindi and would soon take the stage to address the party’s supporters, Dawn reported.
He made the announcement while addressing a crowd gathered in Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Police has written to the top leadership of PTI urging them to ensure that the ex-PM’s VIP security regulations are enforced, Geo TV reported on Saturday.
Khan was also advised to wear body armor, not to get out of his car en route to the rally and to keep his whereabouts secret, the letter said.
Khan left his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, around 1 p.m. local time, and an armored vehicle was delivered to his residence.
Meanwhile, the Express Tribune reported that a convoy of PTI leaders, workers and supporters was heading to Rawalpindi for the Haqeeqi Azadi march.
PTI secretary-general Asad Umar said the gathering would be “historic”.
Khan’s supporters are rushing from across the country to Islamabad’s twin sister city Rawalpindi, where a stage has been prepared at the Sixth Road flyover in the middle of the historic Murree Road.
Some of the fanatical supporters who had arrived in the city were accommodated in makeshift tent structures set up in the Allama Iqbal Park near the rally site.
PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati said the ‘haqeeqi azadi’ movement was moving towards its goal.
In a video message shared by PTI on its official Twitter account, Swati said: “All figures of regime change will be shamed by God, the caravan of freedom movement will not stop no matter what.”
The Rawalpindi government has issued a notification that the England cricket team is about to arrive in Rawalpindi and therefore the ground should be completely vacated after the rally.
The former cricketer-turned-politician said on Friday that despite his injury, he is determined to travel to Rawalpindi for the sake of his country.
In his message, Khan said he was fighting for the country’s true independence and the fight would continue until new elections were announced.
“We are fighting a battle for Haqeeqi Azadi. The single point agenda is elections,” he said, as he accused the current government of destroying the economy and avoiding elections for fear of failure.
Separately, he told a news channel that if snap elections are not announced and the government sticks to its stance of holding general elections on time next October, the masses will overthrow the incumbent ruler by force.
“The Haqeeqi Azadi movement will not end today (November 26) but will continue until justice is served,” he said.
He called on the public to arrive in the garrison city for the protest movement.
“Go to Rawalpindi tomorrow (Saturday) because this is a defining moment for the country. We want to be the country Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal dreamed of,” he said on Friday.
The former prime minister said some wanted him to feud with the military.
He added that he only had issues with some black apples within the Army, not the entire agency.
Khan said he was healing from two gunshot wounds to his thigh, but was having trouble walking because a third bullet penetrated the lower part of his leg.
He also acknowledged that he still faces threats and will take every precaution.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Friday that Khan would use the protests to set a date for the snap election.
“If Imran Khan wants elections, he should act like a statesman and hold talks with political leaders,” he said.
There were intelligence reports of threats to his life, and his party acknowledged the imminent threat.
Sanaullah also warned that Khan’s life was at stake and urged him to postpone the rally.
Khan said he would take every precaution.
He also said it was not the first attack in his life, as his helicopter had to make an emergency landing last month.
PTI secretary-general Asad Omar also said Khan was under threat that if anything happened to him, the government would be held accountable.
With Saturday’s massive rally in Rawalpindi, Khan hopes to maintain the political momentum he generated shortly after he overthrew the government with a no-confidence vote in April.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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