Imran urges people to join Azadi March as political drama continues

After several hours of political drama and chaos across Pakistan in the wake of PTI’s much-anticipated ‘Azadi March’, the federal government and PTI have both refuted claims of striking an agreement. Following the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the two sides engaged in dialogue; however, no breakthrough was reported between the two. As per the Express Tribune, Police in Lahore and workers of PTI clashed earlier in the morning as the latter managed to push their way through the containers deployed at Batti Chowk by the government to stop the protesters from reaching Islamabad. Law enforcers resorted to tear gas after PTI supporters tried to remove the containers placed on the routes exiting Lahore. PTI leaders Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, and Shafqat Mehmood were leading the workers. The party supporters, resultantly, hurled stones at the police.At least 12 workers of the PTI were taken into custody by the police after the clashes.  Visuals on social media show police resorting to tear gas after PTI supporters reportedly tried to remove the containers placed on the routes exiting Lahore.

Tear-gas shells fired towards PTI workers in Lahore pic.twitter.com/29Sze4dCEY

— Mansoor Ali Khan (@_Mansoor_Ali) May 25, 2022

In a tweet, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz alleged that the Punjab police had recovered weapons from the vehicles of PTI Lahore office-bearers Zubair Niazi and Bajash Niazi.

Weapons recovered by punjab Lahore police from vehicles of PTI Lahore office bearers Zubair Niazi and Bajash Niazi. Case registered. This is the ugly face of the so called Long March. These are the intentions. pic.twitter.com/oGZHituEgf

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 25, 2022

Meanwhile, Imran Khan, adressing his  supporters announced that "we are going to D-Chowk and no one can stop us" as the crowd cheered. Calling the incumbent government a "group of thieves", he termed them the most corrupt people in the country and said that they were afraid of the masses which is why they had placed containers.He asserted that the government was afraid as they had been plundering national wealth for the past 30 years.