LAHORE: After a day of negotiations and legal maneuvers, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has received permission to hold a rally on Saturday in Lahore. The Lahore High Court intervened to allow the rally to take place at Link Road, Kahna, instead of the party’s preferred site, the historic Minar-e-Pakistan.
The situation escalated when Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, and PTI lawmakers arrived at Minar-e-Pakistan, only to find the gates locked and heavy police presence preventing entry. A petition filed by advocate Nadeem Sarwar sought to block the rally, but a three-member bench of the LHC dismissed it. Another petition from PTI leader Aliya Hamza requested the court’s intervention for permission to hold the rally.
The court instructed the deputy commissioner to evaluate the PTI’s request by 5 PM. In the meantime, city officials took extensive measures to deter PTI supporters from accessing Minar-e-Pakistan, placing containers along roads that caused significant traffic disruptions.
Heavy police contingents were stationed around the grounds, and orders were issued to detain five PTI leaders, including Engineer Yasir Gillani and Malik Afzal, for 30 days in Kot Lakhpat Jail. Around 50 PTI activists have already been arrested ahead of the rally.
The political climate has heated up, resulting in a war of words between government ministers and PTI leaders. While ministers cited legal reasons for obstructing the rally, PTI insisted on proceeding with their plans in Lahore at any cost.
Imran Khan, the PTI founder currently incarcerated, warned that if the rally was denied, it would escalate into a national protest. He emphasized that the rally aims to “protect democracy and freedom,” a right acknowledged by the Supreme Court but frequently hindered by the government.
Khan criticized the government’s restrictions on political gatherings and media, comparing current conditions to those during former President Musharraf’s regime, where political rallies and media freedoms were less restricted.
In contrast, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari accused PTI of panicking ahead of the rally and dismissed their claims about roadblocks.
Following the LHC’s ruling, the Deputy Commissioner’s office issued an NOC for the PTI rally at Link Road, Kahna, with 43 conditions attached. The rally is permitted to occur between 3 PM and 6 PM, prohibiting hate speech and requiring an apology from K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur for remarks made at a previous rally.
Preparations for the Lahore rally are in full swing, with a convoy led by CM Gandapur scheduled to leave Swabi in the morning. Gandapur’s convoy will include equipment to remove any obstacles along the route. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Adviser, Barrister Saif, confirmed that all arrangements have been finalized, urging the government not to obstruct the rally.
