PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march to Islamabad from Peshawar entered Punjab amid road blockades and shelling against party workers and arrests.

The long march led by PTI chief Imran Khan entered Punjab by removing the government’s barricades at Attock bridge. Imran Khan had earlier arrived at the Wali Interchange in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by helicopter. Later, he departed Islamabad.

In his address at Swabi Interchange, PTI chairman Imran Khan condemned the arrests of party workers at different places of the country and vowed to reach Islamabad’s D-Chowk. Khan said that he is coming to Islamabad to remove the government. He warned the rulers that his caravan was reaching the federal capital. He resolved to reach the D-Chowk despite all the hurdles.

He said that it was a pity that the administration had detained his party people. “We did not stop Maulana Fazlur Rehman. We never stopped Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz, Imran said. Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf to seek directions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding five suggestions given by PTI for holding its long march in Islamabad.

Hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) begun what it termed as “Haqiqi Azadi March” demanding the dissolution of the National Assembly and a date for the next general election, the government and the PTI held dialogues in an effort to end impasse.

During the talks, the government expressed its willingness to remove containers if former PM and PTI chairman returns home after holding a rally in Islamabad instead of sit-in, while the representatives of the PTI insisted on staging a sit-in in the federal capital until their demands are met.

Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former defence minister Pervaiz Khattak, former minister for planning Asad Umar from PTI, while Minister for Economic Affairs Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Senator Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani from government participated in the dialogues.

It may be recalled that the PTI had sought permission to hold a sit-in in Islamabad but the government had refused due to fears of disturbing the peace. The PTI was also directed to record their protest and return home.

During the apex court proceedings against road closures in Islamabad, PTI counsel Babar Awan presented five demands of the party before the apex court that says give space to the PTI at the same place where JUI-F held two sit-ins in Islamabad previously, all containers and blockades be removed, all activists arrested -not booked under penal charges- shall be released immediately, protection of chadar and char dewari should be guaranteed and lawyers should not be harassed while raids should not be carried out at offices. Separately, the government as well as the PTI have denied reports of striking any agreement about the long march.