Islamabad admin permits PTI rally to march from Koral to Rawat

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Capital Territory's (ICT) administration on Saturday granted permission to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to conduct its rally from Koral to Rawat areas. 

The 35-point no-objection certificate (NOC) issued by the capital’s administration was signed by the district magistrate of Islamabad and PTI Islamabad President Ali Nawaz Awan.

It maintained that Section 144 of the Constitution would continue to be enforced in the Red Zone and other areas. The PTI rally was also barred from blocking any roads or causing damage to public or private property.

“This gathering shall not disturb or disrupt the fundamental rights of [the] citizens of Islamabad and adjoining areas”, including the right to freedom of movement, business and trade, and education. Therefore “no roads shall be blocked”, particularly the Islamabad Express Highway and GT Road.

Slogans and speeches against the state, religion, and ideology of Pakistan were prohibited, the administration maintained in the NOC.

It further stated that “no object of lethal or non-lethal force including batons” could be wielded by the participants, and the participants could not indulge in violence. The PTI would be held responsible for any violence or clashes.

The PTI was also made responsible to conduct a security check on each individual before allowing them to join the rally.

“In case of any violation of the above-signed terms and conditions, the undersigned (Ali Nawaz Awan) shall be liable to face legal proceedings and NOC shall automatically stand cancelled”.

The rally is set to join the larger PTI Haqeeqi Azadi procession, with party chief Imran Khan soon to announce the plan to march to Rawalpindi.

Financial guarantee should be taken

The Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan submitted a report before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday, suggesting that a financial guarantee should be taken from the PTI in case of any loss. He maintained that the party had violated its assurances on May 25.

Read 'Long march a political problem': SC dismisses petition to stop PTI's march

The inflammatory remarks of PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur and other party leaders after May 25, were also part of the report.

The report also included threat alerts regarding the danger to PTI chief Imran Khan’s life.

The report, submitted in court, furthered that a PTI leader had also threatened the interior minister’s, and that there were videos of workers being beaten.

“Sheikh Rasheed and Faisal Vawda have said that it will be a bloody march and Chairman PTI Imran Khan himself has admitted that some of his people are armed,” the report added.

According to the report, the Supreme Court had stated that the right to assemble was a democratic right and that the apex court had also declared that the rally cannot be held to abolish the Constitutional government.

It stated that protests also stops the diplomatic movement in the federal capital. Therefore, the IG requested that federal agencies be given authority over the routes leading to the airport.

The report further stated that if the PTI gave the required guarantee, there would be no need to keep containers around the capital.

The IG maintained that the ICT police were ready to provide security to the PTI rally if it conducted its march in accordance with the required conditions.