ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has been denied permission by the Islamabad district administration to hold a rally from Zero Point to F-9 Park on Saturday evening following its imposition of a colonial-era law which bans all types of gatherings.
The presence of the Chinese foreign minister and other important personalities in the federal capital has caused security concerns, and the VIP movement would be disrupted due to the rally.
Additionally, the security agencies have issued an alert of a possible attack in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ کے واضح ہدایات کے باوجود کے ریلی نکالنا آئینی حق ہے، انتظامیہ نے اجازت دینے سے انکار کر دیا۔ یہ پر امن ریلی آئین اور سپریم کورٹ کے ساتھ اظہار یکجہتی کے لئے نکالی جا رہی ہے۔ یعنی انتظامیہ اور پولیس کی طرف سے عدالتوں کو صاف پیغام کے ہم آپ کا حکم نہیں مانتے
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 6, 2023
The president of the party’s Islamabad chapter, Ali Nawaz Awan, had sought permission for the rally, but the administration fears that the party will violate the terms of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) as it had not followed them in the past and had also damaged government property.
Therefore, the Islamabad administration has denied permission for the rally.
However, the PTI has received conditional permission from the district administration to hold a rally from Zaman Park to Lakshmi Chowk in Lahore. The rally will be permitted from 2:00 pm to 7:30 pm, and the management will cooperate with the police and be responsible for security.
آئین کی بالادستی اور عدلیہ سے اظہارِ یکجہتی کیلئے ملکی تاریخ کی سب سے بڑی سیاسی مہم
پاکستان تحریک انصاف آئین کی بالادستی اور عدلیہ سے اظہارِیکجہتی کے حوالے سے منفرد ترین مہم چلانے والی پہلی جماعت بن گئی
ملک بھر میں 4 ہزار سے زائد مقامات پر عوامی اجتماعات کے انعقاد کی تیاریاں… pic.twitter.com/VbKcAFJQwy
— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 6, 2023
The permission was given after taking an oath and an assurance from the opposition party to implement various conditions.
Speeches against the judiciary and the military will not be allowed, and the PTI officials will fully cooperate with the district administration and traffic police to maintain the flow of traffic.
Participants are prohibited from bringing sticks or any similar items, and no display of any type of weapons will be allowed during the rally.
The PTI is taking out rallies on the call of former prime minister Imran Khan to express solidarity with the Constitution and Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial amid the current standoff between the government and the judiciary over the issue of holding elections in Punjab on May 14.
In a video message shared on his Twitter Saturday, Khan, while calling on his supporters to take to the streets to demonstrate solidarity with the Constitution, announced that simultaneous rallies would be held in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Peshawar, with the former prime minister himself leading the Lahore rally.
He said that Pakistan is at a critical point in its history, with record inflation and unemployment and a “mafia seizing control” of the country.
He also accused the government of intentionally taking steps to destroy the Constitution and the Supreme Court, while running propaganda against the chief justice and Supreme Court judges.
Khan urged the nation to rally in solidarity with the chief justice, stressing that elections are the only solution to the country’s crisis.
He alleged that the caretaker government in Punjab is unwilling to organise polls despite the Constitution mandating elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly.
The people of Lahore were urged to come out of their houses between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
