Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s procession entered its second day on the streets as the PML-N leader resumed a long road trip back to his hometown, Lahore, via the Grand Trunk (GT) Road on Thursday after an overnight stay in Rawalpindi.

Sharif’s convoy reached Jhelum at around 5pm today.

Briefly addressing supporters at Sohawa, asked them: “Do you accept the court’s decision? Did you not vote for me as your prime minister? I have come out onto the streets with a case against your disqualification,” he told them from inside his car.

“There are no allegations of corruption against me,” he reiterated. “The honourable judges sent me home. Do you agree with their decision?” he asked.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan hit out at Sharif’s decision to address the crowd from inside his car in a tweet shortly after his speech.

“Speaking from a bulletproof car doesn’t inspire confidence in already-dwindling crowds. If you fear death you shouldn’t undertake ‘people’s’ rallies.”

Sharif, who progressed from Rawalpindi to Ayub Park with his convoy, separated from the rally shortly after 2pm, picking up speed and proceeding to Jhelum along with a police escort.

He passed by a number of camps where a small number of workers had gathered.

The convoy is expected to reach Jhelum shortly, and police have closed off one track of the road leading to the city.

PML-N’s Uzma Bukhari, attempting to defend her party leader’s decision to speed up the journey, said: “The towns he has travelled through are small towns. The larger ones are yet to come, and he will address his workers in the bigger towns.”=DNA

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