MUZAFFARABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) held a large rally here on Thursday in a strong show of power after some heavyweights from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) had joined the party recently.

The public meeting, where young PTI activists demonstrated their trademark enthusiasm, was organised at Upper Adda Chowk.

Speaking on the occasion, the party’s secretary general Jehangir Tareen said the PTI would fight for the rights of the Kashmiri people at all fronts under the dynamic leadership of Imran Khan.

“...The Kashmiris should be given the right to self-determination in accordance with the UN resolutions,” he said and vowed that the PTI would “unite AJK and India-held Kashmir” after coming to power.

Mr Tareen said the PTI was primarily the party of youths and, after coming to power, it would give representation to them in the government according to their ratio in population.

“The youth form 61 per cent of Pakistan’s population and the country can be turned into an economic giant by including them in the national mainstream,” he said.

Similarly, he added, women would get 33pc representation in the legislature in proportion to their ratio in the population.

Mr Tareen said a “naya Pakistan” would emerge when people would throw out corrupt rulers with the power of their vote.

“The objective of our struggle is to ensure that due rights are given to people from different segments of society and Pakistan is put on the path of peace, progress and prosperity.”

He vowed that the PTI would do away with the ‘politics of heredity’ and break the status quo.

Striking the right chord, the PTI leader announced that his party would hold “the rulers in Pakistan and AJK” accountable for “corruption in the aid received for the survivors of October 2005 earthquake”.

Earlier Fauzia Kusuri, the president of the PTI’s women wing, MNA Ghulam Sarwar Khan, MPA Arif Abbasi and others spoke.

They said their party had changed the dynamics of politics and predicted that it would sweep next general elections.

“This is the year of change. Time is not far when Imran Khan will become prime minister in Pakistan and Barrister Sultan Mahmood in AJK,” Mr Sarwar said.

Mr Mahmood, the PTI’s president of AJK chapter, said a “million march” on the pattern of “London million march” would be staged in AJK against corrupt rulers “who enjoy blessings of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif”.

He said PTI would clinch victory in Mirpur bye-election on March 15, following which it would announce its future course of action in AJK.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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