Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan had said in Lahore on October 5, “When will the Long March take place, I will not tell anyone the date.” I will decide the time, date and place myself, many cards will remain close to my chest.
On the same day, the former Prime Minister also administered the oath to the party members in Lahore. According to the oath, “No member will hesitate to participate in the ‘Jihad’ of the true freedom march and make any sacrifice.” Earlier, a similar oath was taken in Peshawar.
Moreover, Imran Khan also entrusted the party leaders with the task of taking 6,000 people from each district to participate in the long march. The statements of the former prime minister in socio-political circles regarding this long march have created a lot of curiosity, as its history was being kept very secret.
Then suddenly it was said by Imran Khan that the long march will be announced on Friday. But on October 25, i.e. Tuesday, the long march was announced by him saying that the long march will start from Friday, I will reach Islamabad along with the people from Liberty Chowk in Lahore. Will not enter the red zone.
Where will the money come from, how much will it cost, who will bear the cost?
It is a very important question that where the money will come from for PTI’s real freedom march and how much will it cost?
In this regard, it was stated that the expenditure has been divided into two parts, local and central. The local leaders of each district, whether they are MNAs, MPs, or ticket candidates in the next election, will also bring the participants to the long march and arrange for food and accommodation for all of them. These local leaders will bring ration with them.
Apart from this PTI head office in Islamabad will bear the expenses incurred on transportation, petrol, diesel, lighting, sound system, generators, containers. Now the question is, how much will the total cost be?
What will be the arrangements and what will be the procedure?
This long march will be different from PTI’s previous long march in terms of arrangements and preparations. In it, arrangements are distributed at the lower level. If we look at the 2014 sit-in, the arrangements were with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf head office. But this time most of the responsibility is distributed among the local leaders in each district.
Arrangements have been made up to the Union Council level. One of the people who assisted in the preparation of the arrangements said, “Given the fear that the government can confiscate the goods of the people and companies supporting the long march, arrest them, how did it be resolved?” will go In view of this fear and apprehension, one may stay away from the red zone.
A potential candidate for National Assembly of Tehreek-e-Insaaf in the next election from Okara told us on the condition of anonymity that ‘I have the responsibility of bringing 100 people, their food and accommodation and their return. On the way, the long march convoy will stay at different places, so during this time, I am also responsible for their accommodation and food arrangements. Buses bringing workers will charge Rs 25,000 per day in addition to fuel.
A candidate for the provincial assembly ticket from Leh told us that on 25th, Aun Abbas Bapi came here, he held a meeting with all officials, PTI MPs and MNAs regarding the long march. Informed about the instructions and responsibilities related to the march.
The number of workers has been assigned to different people. I am bringing four buses full. Bus fares have also been given. This rent is around one lakh on a daily basis.
The candidate for this provincial assembly ticket said that the fare is high because the journey from here to Lahore and then to Islamabad is long.
Ashfaq Ahmed, a local journalist from Rahim Yar Khan, told us that a district official of Tehreek-e-Insaaf of Rahim Yar Khan was spoken to on the evening of October 27, who at that time went to Rahim Yar Khan Interchange to bid farewell to Aun Abbas Babi for Multan. were present.’
He said that today Aun Abbas Bapi held important meetings here and a target of 5000 people from Rahim Yar Khan district has been given to participate.
For this, fifty big buses are being arranged immediately and the deals with the bus owners have been settled, they are charging 145,000. They are being given five days advance rent. All this cost will be distributed to the local leadership.
He said that the buses will stay in Islamabad for three days, if the Long March stops in Islamabad, they will return. Those who will participate from here, their food and drink, accommodation is the responsibility of the local leadership.
To local journalist Javed Ahmad Muawiya from Nankana Sahib, the district official of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf told that ‘three hundred employees are to be brought here under the responsibility of MPs and four hundred to five hundred employees are to be brought under the responsibility of MNAs. The vehicles that we have rented are fixed at 15,000 and 25,000 excluding fuel because 25,000 are big and less luxury vehicles.
Apart from this, private vehicles will be separated and all this money will be paid by MPs, MNEs and ticket aspirants. We will have an in-charge on each vehicle, who will rent the bus to the owner on a daily basis and provide food and accommodation to the workers. And we have informed the workers about staying there for ten to fifteen days.
Sheikhupura-based journalist Waheed Mughal spoke to the drivers of some of the vans and coasters hired for the long march.
According to him, the daily savings for the small van has been fixed at Rs.5500, all other expenses will be borne by PTI and the cost of the coasters has been fixed at Rs.7000 per day. This is savings. Other expenses are not included.
A few local journalists from Dera Ismail Khan, Upper Dir, Charsadda, Swabi and Lucky Marwat and the local leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf told us that convoys from these districts will reach Rawalpindi directly and the expenses will be borne by the local leadership. Some journalists claim that the provincial government is also allegedly using its resources and funds in this regard.
What will be the expenses on sound system, lighting, petrol and diesel?
According to an organizer of the Long March, tankers containing two lakh liters of diesel and one lakh liters of petrol will accompany Imran Khan’s convoy. About 40,000 people in Lahore are targeted for the arrangement. Where will these people come from? One will be the people of Lahore, along with the convoys from Punjab, Sindh and some areas of Balochistan have been asked to reach Lahore first. We will walk together from here.
While convoys from Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Attock, Khushab, Sargodha, Jhang will reach Rawalpindi on November 3 and 4. Some of these caravans can go to Lahore first.
A responsible person in charge of sound system, lighting and other administrative matters told us that ‘There can be around 30 sound system based trucks along with the convoy and without fuel the cost of one truck will be 140 thousand. ‘
Heavy lights will be installed on these trucks and generators will be placed inside them. If the generator running in every vehicle runs for ten to fifteen hours in twenty-four hours, several thousand liters of diesel will be used.
What is the government’s plan to thwart the long march?
On October 7, Friday, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah while holding a press conference at PTV headquarters said that the government has planned to make Islamabad safe. Apart from administrative matters, there are two suggestions. If even one proposal is implemented, they will not have any illusions about what happened.
Speaking to BBC later, the Federal Interior Minister said, “We have the Islamabad police, the Rangers will also help and this group will be stopped.”
Then, while giving a press conference on October 27, Rana Sanaullah said that at any cost March will not be allowed to enter the red zone. The army will be called under Article 245.
