LAHORE:
After a day of negotiations, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finally received approval to hold a rally in Lahore this Saturday.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) intervened and granted permission for the rally to be held at Link Road, Kahna, rather than PTI’s initial choice, the historic Minar-e-Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, along with PTI MPAs, visited the Minar-e-Pakistan site only to find the gates locked and a heavy police presence preventing their entry.
A petition was also filed by advocate Nadeem Sarwar in the LHC to stop the rally. However, a three-member LHC bench dismissed the petition.
Another petition, filed by PTI leader Aliya Hamza and others, sought the court’s intervention for rally approval. The court directed the deputy commissioner to decide the matter by 5 PM.
Meanwhile, the city administration made significant efforts to prevent PTI supporters from accessing Minar-e-Pakistan, placing containers on roads leading to the site, which caused traffic disruptions. Heavy police contingents were deployed around the area.
Authorities also issued orders to detain five PTI leaders and activists, including Engineer Yasir Gillani, Malik Afzal, Fazal Khan, Amir Gillani, and Fazal Dad Khan, who were sent to Kot Lakhpat Jail for 30 days. Around 50 PTI supporters have already been taken into custody ahead of the rally.
As tensions rose in the lead-up to the event, government ministers and PTI leaders exchanged heated statements. While government officials cited legal formalities for blocking the rally, PTI vowed to proceed in Lahore at all costs.
Imran Khan, the imprisoned PTI founder, warned during an informal chat with journalists at Adiala Jail that if the government blocked the rally, it would turn into a protest. He emphasized that the rally was meant to “protect democracy and freedom,” rights endorsed by the Supreme Court but obstructed by the government.
Khan compared the current situation to the era of former president Musharraf, arguing that even under martial law, political rallies and media freedom were not as restricted as they are now. He claimed that the government’s selective approval process favored their own events while rejecting PTI’s requests.
On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari accused PTI of panicking and dismissed claims of road blockades and container placements. She asserted that no one was being stopped from attending the rally.
Following the LHC’s orders, the city administration swiftly granted an NOC for the rally at Link Road, Kahna, with 43 conditions. These include holding the event between 3 PM and 6 PM, banning hate speech, and requiring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa CM Ali Amin Gandapur to apologize for inappropriate remarks made at a previous rally in Islamabad.
Preparations for the PTI rally are already underway. A convoy led by CM Gandapur is set to depart from Swabi, carrying equipment to clear any roadblocks along the way. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Adviser, Barrister Saif, confirmed that all arrangements have been made for the Lahore event, emphasizing that a large crowd would be heading to the city. He urged the government not to create any obstacles and advised Maryam Nawaz to remain composed.
