Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir has said that Imran Khan’s long march is a march for power which has turned into a bloody march, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference in Gujranwala on Wednesday, the minister claimed that this city was a stronghold of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. 

He rued that due to closure of educational institutions in the city in the wake of PTI long march, the academic year of students was being wasted. 

He said elections would be held in October 2023 and the National Assembly would complete its constitutional term on August 12, 2023. 

Dastgir who hails from Gujranwala expressed solidarity with the workers and traders of the city. He said that Imran Khan’s long march was in fact a march he was holding to grab power. 

“We have to continue the journey of progress. The march for power has now become a bloody march,” he added.

The minister said that it was the responsibility of the federal government to provide protection to the life and property of people. 

He put a question to the PTI asking why it was not dissolving assemblies in the KP and GB.

The PTI is ruling in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan and demanding early elections in the country, 

He said if the participants of long march were coming to Islamabad for a peaceful march, they were most welcome. 

He said despite the difficulties, people of Gujranwala supported Nawaz Sharif. He said the ‘Fasadi’ march had launched an attack on the PTV. “If the ‘Fasadi’ march wants to repeat this episode, we are ready to deal with it,” he warned. 

The Lions of Gujranwala have rejected the crawling Fitna march, he bemused. 

He categorically said the government would complete its constitutional term. 

Dastgir derided Imran for thinking that before his march reached Islamabad the government would give in and agree to his demand regarding early election. 

“We are not afraid of these threats. We will forcefully resist them,” the minister roared adding that Imran had got a track record of violence.