Opposition barred from holding celebration at PA

LAHORE:

The opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly were not granted permission to hold an Independence Day celebration at the main gate of the assembly.

In response, opposition members and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers staged a protest at Aiwan-e-Iqbal Square after being stopped by the police.

The police had blocked all roads leading to the Punjab Assembly, preventing access. PTI workers and opposition members carried party flags and chanted slogans in favour of their party's founder. Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, while speaking to the media, accused the Punjab government of trying to intimidate the opposition through the use of police.

He stated, "The government is treating the opposition as if we are terrorists. They are attempting to scare us with police action, while our basic rights are being suppressed."

He further lamented that opposition members were not allowed to enter the assembly and claimed that the government was even preventing them from celebrating Independence Day.

He stated that during a rally organised by PTI members, the police created chaos, leading to the arrest of several party workers.

During the unrest, police officers confiscated flags from the PTI supporters and physically assaulted them, including Opposition Leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar.

Bhachar staged a sit-in on Mall Road, demanding the immediate release of the arrested workers. The police had also blocked all key routes leading to the Punjab Assembly, including Regal Chowk, GPO, Mall Road, Cooper Road, and Egerton Road. Bhachar added that the Punjab chief minister cannot silence the opposition from the confines of a glass chamber. He reaffirmed that their demonstrations would continue until their demands are met.