PTI Leadership Reveals Key Details About the Azadi March and Encounters at Adiala Jail

Islamabad: Senior leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has revealed significant details about the party’s Azadi March during encounters at Adiala Jail. According to sources, PTI’s founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan, did not specifically call for a protest at D-Chowk, Islamabad. Rather, he only instructed a call for a march to Islamabad, with the exact location to be decided upon arrival.
The revelation came after high-level meetings between PTI’s leadership and key political figures. Sources claim that during the initial meeting, Imran Khan was briefed about ongoing talks, and he directed that both the march and negotiations should continue. He also gave specific instructions to senior PTI leaders, including Ali Amin Gandapur, Umar Ayub, and Shibli Faraz, to handle the negotiations.
One of the more surprising revelations was that PTI’s leadership was not informed beforehand about Bushra Bibi’s decision to join the march. The leadership learned of her participation only at the last minute. When informed, Imran Khan stated that it was Bushra Bibi’s personal decision, and she was free to join the march if she wished.
Further details disclosed that PTI’s leadership had initially considered bringing in Barrister Saif through a chartered aircraft from Peshawar, but this turned out to be inaccurate. Instead, Barrister Saif, along with Barrister Gohar, arrived in Rawalpindi for the meetings. During discussions, the lawyers proposed to set up camp in Sangjani, which was approved by Imran Khan.
Sources also mentioned that while the talks were progressing, the government began taking preventive measures such as closing motorways and placing roadblocks, leading to a halt in the initial negotiations. It was noted that PTI had advised avoiding setting up camp near tall buildings to prevent potential clashes with government forces, including shelling.
Imran Khan had initially agreed to a stop at Sangjani, but sources suggest that Bushra Bibi had a different opinion on the matter. The final decision on the protest’s location, as well as a potential video message from Imran Khan, could not be finalized due to disagreements between the negotiating parties.
As the situation developed, both sides struggled to reach a consensus, and it was noted that the government’s actions to disrupt the march escalated tensions, leading to a standstill in the talks.