Will turn Lahore rally into a protest if government refuses permission: Imran Khan

PTI criticises the government's refusal to allow rallies, claiming democracy is being undermined by restrictions.

Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan has said if the government refused permission, the party's rally in Lahore then  "we will turn the rally into a protest."

Imran, during an informal conversation with journalists at Adiala jail earlier today said, "If the rally is stopped, the entire nation will protest at Minar Pakistan".

"For a year and a half, rallies have not been allowed in Lahore. Destroying democracy means ending freedom, and having a rally is our constitutional right," the PTI chairperson noted.

The PTI founder alleged the PTI's rally at Minar-e-Pakistan is "aimed at protecting democracy and freedom", and is endorsed by the Supreme Court, but is being blocked once again.

"Despite the guarantee, containers were placed and obstacles set up at the Islamabad rally".

"Has anyone in the world ever given time to end a rally? We were deceived regarding the Islamabad rally," the PTI leader questioned.

"If the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore does not permit the rally, we will protest at Minar Pakistan," he stated.

The PTI founder alleged that even during Musharraf's martial law era, the media and political rallies were not banned from expression.

"Musharraf's election was free and fair compared to theirs, and he also did not impose bans on the media and rallies".

Speaking more on permission regarding rallies, he said, "Whatever their requests are, they are being heard, and ours are being rejected".

"There should have been an investigation into the commissioner's statement; it is also possible that he was wrong. It should not be the case that instead of investigating the commissioner's statement, it is dismissed".

Imran claimed that the CJP Isa and the chief election commissioner "are conspiring together to commit fraud".

"Today, on one side of the line is democracy and those who respect votes, and on the other side are those who respect power".

"Qazi Faez Isa is directly beneficiary of the constitutional amendments; he wants an extension. He takes every election case upon himself".

Imran said that he discusses the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report because the "same conditions" exist in the country today.

"These conditions in the country were not present even during the times of Musharraf and Zia-ul-Haq," he alleged.

He concluded the talk by stating that the nation is standing on one side, while the "small ruling class is destroying democracy" on the other.