LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a major public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on February 8, submitting a formal request to the Lahore administration for permission to hold the gathering.
Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza has been assigned to lead the event’s coordination efforts. She submitted a written application to the Lahore deputy commissioner, seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the rally at Greater Iqbal Park.
The event’s organizing committee includes opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, Ali Ijaz Butt, and Aliya Hamza herself.
PTI sources have stated that if permission for the rally is denied, the party intends to stage nationwide protests in response.
In a related development, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar criticized the ruling coalition’s approach to political negotiations, announcing the party’s intention to shift towards street protests.
Speaking to a local TV channel, Akbar claimed the government had failed to address key demands, including forming judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023, protests and the November 26, 2024, crackdown on PTI demonstrators in Islamabad.
“We tried negotiations, but now we’ll seek solutions on the streets,” Akbar said, revealing plans for district-level demonstrations and a large protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk.
He emphasized that the party’s leadership structure would also undergo significant changes, with “hardliners” expected to replace the existing leadership during a reorganization planned for May.
The February 8 rally at Minar-e-Pakistan is being seen as a crucial step in PTI’s strategy to reignite public mobilization and push back against what the party describes as governmental repression.
