- Imran says postponed Sunday rally to preventing bloodshed
- Opposition party moves court, ECP against imposition of Section 144
LAHORE: The Lahore district administration granted permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its public rally in the provincial capital, scheduled to take place on Monday (today) in connection with its campaign for the upcoming general elections in Punjab.
According to sources, the Lahore administration allowed the party to hold public rally on the instructions of caretaker Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi.
In this regard, the district administration officers met with the PTI leaders and apprised them of the decision.
Earlier, the PTI announced the party will hold its rally on Monday (today) after the administration did not allow its scheduled public rally for a second time on Sunday.
According to the schedule released by the party’s Lahore chapter, the rally will be taken out from Zaman Park at 2pm on Monday and it will culminate at Data Darbar after passing through Allama Iqbal Road and Railway Station.
چئیرمین عمران خان نے کل لاہور میں الیکشن ریلی نکالنے کا اعلان کر دیا- pic.twitter.com/NvdK1MnVFD
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 11, 2023
The PTI Lahore president claimed that it will be the biggest rally in the country’s history.
Adequate security
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded adequate security arrangements for public rally in Lahore, which was postponed till Monday after the Punjab government imposed Section 144 for a day.
The PTI has penned down a letter to Secretary Home Department, Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Police Lahore and Superintendent of Police (SP) Security, demanding adequate security arrangements for public rally in Lahore – on Monday in connection with upcoming general elections in Punjab.
The letter noted that the rally – which was scheduled to be held on Sunday – has been postponed till tomorrow (Monday). It added that the party has apprised the district administration of the rally.
The letter further stated that PTI Chairman Imran Khan will lead the rally, pointing out that Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi said – in a tweet – that there is no ban on political activities in Lahore.
“No ban can be imposed on rallies as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the election schedule”, it said, adding that the route will remain the same.
Imran postpones PTI rally after ‘illegal’ imposition of Section 144
Earlier, Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), cancelled his party’s scheduled election rally in Lahore on Sunday following the eleventh-hour imposition of Section 144, suspending public gatherings in the provincial metropolis, by the caretaker government of Mohsin Naqvi.
The ban on public gatherings in the provincial capital was put in place last night for unspecified “security threats,” hours after Khan announced a fresh rally as an act of defiance against the interim setup’s crackdown on the party’s March 8 rally, which killed at least one supporter of the former prime minister.
The district administration cited concerns in the aftermath of an HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) match in the city for invoking the law and forbidding public gatherings.
Police also sealed off all roads leading to Khan’s residence in Lahore to prevent PTI workers from attempting to reach the venue.
اور کچھ نہیں خوف بس یہ ہے کہ عوام بے خوف ہوچکی ہے ، اس وقت زمان پارک میں پولیس کے محاصرے کے باوجود تمام رکاوٹیں عبور کرتے ہزاروں کی تعداد میں عوام پہنچ چکی۔ #ImranKhanRally pic.twitter.com/DuT8Q7wrsA
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 12, 2023
Subsequently, PTI challenged the imposition of the ban by approaching the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) offices and the courts, seeking to declare Section 144 null and void.
Despite the legal challenges, Khan eventually decided to call off the rally, urging his party workers to avoid falling into the “trap”.
In a series of tweets, he claimed that Section 144 had been unlawfully imposed exclusively on his election campaign, while other public activities in Lahore, including a political gathering by rival Maryam Nawaz, continued as usual.
It seems again Sec 144 has been imposed illegally solely on PTI election campaign as all other public activities are ongoing in Lahore. Only Zaman Park has been surrounded by containers & heavy police contingent. Clearly, like 8 March, Punjab CM & police want to provoke clashes
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 12, 2023
“Clearly, like March 8, Punjab [chief minister Naqvi] and police want to provoke clashes to file more sham FIRs against the PTI leadership and workers and use it as a pretext for postponing elections,” he said.
“I AM TELLING ALL PTI WORKERS NOT TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP,” he added, in an all-caps tweet.
PEACEFUL STRUGGLE
Separately, during a press conference in Lahore, another Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Hammad Azhar, announced the party would be postponing their rally, declaring that they didn’t want “more bodies to fall.”
Azhar alleged the murder of party supporter Ali Bilal, also known as Zill-i-Shah, had been covered up, but emphasised that the party sought a peaceful struggle.
While addressing the media, Azhar indicated the PTI would announce the new rally date soon, and that it could potentially take place tomorrow. He urged party workers to remain prepared for any future developments.
Azhar pointed out the PTI had halted its rallies in March and November last year, citing the fear of violence. However, he made it clear that the party would not give up its fight and would not be intimidated.
“The rally scheduled for today is being postponed. Workers should prepare themselves. It is possible that the rally will take place tomorrow or after tomorrow, but it could be held tomorrow as well. We will provide an update shortly,” he added.
ILLEGAL MOVE
The party has challenged the imposition of Section 144, with its leader Babar Awan filing a plea in the election tribunal on the instructions of Khan.
The petition argues the imposition of Section 144 violates paragraph 15 of the Supreme Court’s order and that the routes of the rally and the cricket match are different.
The party asserts that the election campaign is their constitutional right and that the provincial government is illegally stopping their campaign.
Speaking to the media later, Awan reiterated that the timings and routes of the match and rally are distinct.
Earlier in the day, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, deputy chairman of the party, flanked by Chaudhry, approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the move, which the party said it views as unjustified.
Qureshi claimed the caretaker government wanted to “create a clash” so that the cricket game could be canceled and reasons for arrests of PTI workers be created.
“We have decided to remain peaceful and not lose our patience in front of the chaos that the government had created,” he added.
The PTI petition filed in the LHC said the government’s orders regarding the imposition of Section 144 be set aside in the interest of “justice, fair play, and equity”. It also said that the government should provide sufficient security to the PTI rally.
In a separate move, PTI leader Yasmin Rashid has submitted a request against the provincial government’s decision to ban rallies in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Lahore.
ECP asked to declare Section 144 imposition illegal
President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid on Sunday wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on the issue of stopping the PTI rally.
It has been stated in the letter that the Election Commission of Pakistan has issued the election schedule in Punjab, following which PTI announced a rally and the caretaker government imposed Section 144 [to stop the rally].
ڈاکٹر یاسمین راشد اور میاں اسلم اقبال نے الیکشن کمیشن لاہور میں دفعہ 144 چیلنج کر دی۔
#ImranKhanRally pic.twitter.com/Iu9DC8j7CK
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 12, 2023
It was further mentioned that the rally was also brutally manhandled by the police earlier, due to which one of their activist was martyred. The PTI’s rally is going to be held at 2pm while HBL PSL match is at 7pm.
In the letter, the electoral watchdog has been asked to take notice of the caretaker government’s role and declare the implementation of Section 144 illegal.
It should be noted that after the announcement by PTI Chairman Imran Khan to hold a rally today, the caretaker Punjab government has summoned the Rangers by imposing Section 144 in Lahore.
CEC covens meeting to review PTI pleas
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja Sunday called an important meeting of the commission tomorrow (Monday) to discuss the petitions submitted to the ECP by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders against the imposition of Section 144 which prohibits any rallies and public gatherings in Lahore.
The ECP on its official Twitter handle announced: “The chief election commissioner has called an important meeting of the commission tomorrow at 10:30 am on the requests of Dr Babar Awan and Dr Yasmeen Rashid of PTI regarding the implementation of Section 144 by the Punjab government and the ban on election rallies.”
Earlier in the day, the PTI challenged the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore in the Election Commission of Pakistan. On the direction of PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, Babar Awan filed the petition in ECP on Sunday, praying the commission to order the withdrawal of the Section 144.
Awan argued in the application that running election campaign is the constitutional right of the PTI and the ban on rallies is illegal.
It was further stated in the application that the Punjab government has violated the Supreme Court’s decision by imposing Section 144. Rallies are being blocked on the pretext of PSL matches, although routes of the rally and the PSL match are miles apart, it said and added the PTI rally will end at 5:30 pm while the PSL match will start at 7:00 pm.
The plea further said that imposition of Section 144 was not witnessed in any city during the PSL match before this one.
