Permission denied: Govt directs Imran not to hold rallies today

PTI leader says party chief will only meet workers and support their campaign.

RAWALPINDI: The district administration has asked the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) not to hold rallies and political gatherings in the city on December 1 when Imran Khan plans to visit before Saturday’s local bodies polls, it has been learnt.

The local government election in Rawalpindi is scheduled for December 5 and the PTI chairman will visit different areas of the city to boost up the campaign for PTI’s candidates. Imran himself is the National Assembly representative from NA-56.

Talking to The Express Tribune, PTI’s Rawalpindi president Arif Abbasi said the party has officially informed the district coordination officer (DCO), city police officer, and chief traffic officer about their chairman’s planned visit.

Abbasi said DCO Sajid Zafar Dall, in response, wrote a letter to the party stating that holding election-related rallies and meetings has been banned by the Election Commission of Pakistan. He added that the DCO asked the party not hold rallies and meetings before the December polls.

However, Abbasi said the party has decided to go ahead with their plan and Imran would visit different localities in Rawalpindi city. He said they will hold no formal rallies or meetings to campaign for PTI candidates, explaining that Imran would instead meet party workers and supporter their campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2015.