ISLAMABAD - Tens of thousands of the PTI protesters on Tuesday evening proceeded towards Red Zone as the large contingent of Police Rangers and Frontier Constabulary offered no resistance.
Before proceeding, Imran Khan delivered an emotional speech. During his address at around 08:10pm when Shah Mehmood Qureshi whispered something in his ear, Khan paused for a moment and enthusiastically announced that he would proceed towards Red Zone in next 10 minutes.
During his speech, Khan motivated his workers by criticising Nawaz Sharif and calling the PM with different names including the 'coward’. His speech was successful in a way that his workers got emotionally charged and at around 08.40 thousands of marchers started proceeding towards the Parliament House avoiding Diplomatic Enclave.
During his speech, the whole atmosphere was very tense and this tension was visible on the faces of Imran Khan, Mehmood Qureshi, Pervaiz Khattak and Javed Hashmi.
During the last four days, music had been played generously during the speeches of Khan, but before starting journey, music was first played at around 08.04pm for a short while during the Khan's speech. There were no bhangras but the serious voice of Khan echoed in the whole area.
As per directions of the PTI chairman, woman, who seemed to be enjoying the whole sit-in just like a party proceeded first and later male members also followed them. Islamabad and Punjab policemen were caught in surprise when dozens of woman started showering petals on them. This showering was started by the PTI females on the directions of the chairman before advancing.
Clad in shalwar suits, jeans, beard, clean shaved, young, old, the crowd seemed to be from diversified socio economic backgrounds. They were hovering party flags whereas some of them were carrying thick long sticks. Khan preferred to remain on top of the container which moved at snail's pace and chanted slogans let us go to the Parliament.
Earlier, during his motivational speech, Khan took promise from his workers to remain non-violent, and said that he would lead the march.
Without having any idea of seriousness of the situation, the PTI workers were of the view that after reaching Parliament House, Nawaz would resign and the country would be freed from all the troubles.
“We have won; we have succeeded in reaching Red Zone; now we’ll topple the government; Khan will be the next prime minister and resolve all our issues,” Zulfiqar Khan, a participant shouted in a mixture of noises of human voices and whirl of crane and media vehicles engines.
The participants were full of emotions that they bypassed all logic. “I'm here after the government restricted entry of a peaceful demonstration to Red Zone; it is part of our own country, I have come here bare handed, ready to take a hit, to protect woman and children and it's my right to move freely in my own country", said Mahmood Khan, an executive of an advertising company.
The people have a right to go anywhere, only unheard of it in Islamic republic of Pakistan, Good bye sensibility that keeps people with heads bent down.
‘Prime Minister Imran Khan’ was another popular slogan which was echoed time after time. The PTI has been complaining that the Pakistan Muslim League-N rigged last year's elections. But Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar offered to accept all demands of the PTI, except resigning of the PM.
“We have crossed many barriers of fear while reaching here; now it is do or die situation; we are not willing to take anything less than Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.”
During the whole episode, policemen kept silent and ignored even misbehave from some of the party activists.
“We have been told not to engage with the protesters and not to fire any bullet in case of any clash,” a policeman said.