Up the garden path
A Noon insider, one of the negotiators with the IK-TuQ duo, talking off the record to some journos told a strange tale: “These guys were in touch with Mr P, the architect of the Get Nawaz Operation. They’d been told that before they left Lahore for Islamabad on their long marches, the deed would be done. That’s why they kept wandering around Lahore for hours. Finally, when they couldn’t muster the million men march, they were told to proceed to Gujranwala to await orders. That’s why, when IK arrived in Gujranwala and was greeted by a nervous but hospitable stalwart and invited to a lavish breakfast, he shouted, ‘mujhe naashta naheen, banday chahiyein. Kahan hain b - - n c - - d banday?’ To this his stalwart muttered something apologetic. Once again, he awaited orders in Gujranwala and was then told to proceed to Islamabad where the expectation was that the million man march would arrive from IK’s own province. When that didn’t happen, he sped off disgusted to his home and didn’t show up until the next evening’. The Noon stalwart was of the opinion that the IK-TuQ duo has been led up the garden path by Mr P.
Another dumping
The other unceremonious dumping that took place on the Great Long March from Lahore to Isloo has to do with the Sheikh of Lal Haveli. It had been decided that the Sheikh would stay close to The Khan, for ‘consultations’ and such like. When the PML N’s goons began the pathrao of The Great Khan’s cavalcade in Gujranwala, the Sheikh was on the roof of the container with Khan Sahab. When the attack began, he scurried downstairs and to the loo. Meanwhile, The Great Khan was told that he now needed to proceed to Isloo post-haste. The Khan got into a stalwart’s waiting four wheeler and zoomed off, dumping Sheikh Sahab while he was on the loo.