LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition seeking permission to hold a public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on March 22, directing the party to first approach the government’s redressal committee.
Justice Farooq Haider, while presiding over the hearing, upheld the registrar’s objection, stating that PTI must follow the proper legal process before seeking judicial intervention. The court ruled that if the committee fails to decide on the matter, PTI may then file a petition.
The petition was filed by PTI leader Akmal Khan Bari, who argued that the party had formally requested permission from the authorities but had not received a response. PTI’s legal counsel contended that approaching the redressal committee would be ineffective, as previous attempts had yielded no results.
However, the LHC maintained that legal procedures must be followed before bringing the case to court. The petition highlighted that PTI sought to organize a peaceful gathering in accordance with the law but was denied permission, prompting the party to seek judicial intervention.
Earlier, Lahore’s district administration had refused to grant PTI permission for a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on February 8. PTI had initially announced plans for the gathering to mark the first anniversary of the 2023 general elections, which the party claims were heavily rigged.
