PTI gears up for Lahore power show amid crackdown

Event allowed at Kahna after govt changes venue several times

LAHORE:

After a day of back-and-forth, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finally secured permission to hold a rally on Saturday in Lahore.

This came after the Lahore High Court intervened, allowing the rally to take place at Link Road, Kahna, instead of the party's preferred venue, the historical Minar-e-Pakistan.

The day-long drama unfolded when Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, along with PTI MPAs, visited the Minar-e-Pakistan site only to find the gates locked and a heavy police presence barring their entry.

Besides, a petition was filed by advocate Nadeem Sarwar in the LHC to prevent the PTI rally on Saturday. However, a three-member bench of the LHC dismissed the petition.

In addition, another petition was filed by PTI leader Aliya Hamza and others in the LHC seeking the court's intervention for the rally's permission.

The court ordered the deputy commissioner to decide the PTI's request as per law till 5 pm.

Meanwhile, the city administration left no stone unturned to prevent PTI activists and supporters from reaching Minar-e-Pakistan, the originally proposed rally site.

Containers were placed along roads leading to the venue to block access, but their large size caused traffic disruptions, worsening the situation for motorists.

Heavy police contingents were also deployed around the Minar-e-Pakistan grounds.

In addition, orders were issued to detain five PTI leaders and activists, including Engineer Yasir Gillani, Malik Afzal, Fazal Khan, Amir Gillani, and Fazal Dad Khan, who will be held in Kot Lakhpat Jail for 30 days.

So far, around 50 PTI activists have been taken into police custody ahead of the Lahore rally.

The high political temperature in the run-up to the PTI rally sparked a war of words between government ministers and PTI leaders.

Ministers cited legal formalities as a reason to block the rally, while PTI vowed to go ahead in Lahore at any cost.

Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, during an informal conversation with journalists at Adiala Jail, warned that if the government denied permission for the Lahore rally, the party will turn the event into a protest. If the rally was blocked, the entire nation will protest at Minar-e-Pakistan, he vowed.

Khan asserted the rally is intended to "protect democracy and freedom," a right endorsed by the Supreme Court but repeatedly obstructed by the government.

He criticised the government's approach to rallies, questioning why obstacles were created at previous gatherings despite earlier assurances. "If the deputy commissioner of Lahore does not permit the rally, we will protest at Minar-e-Pakistan," he reiterated.

Comparing the current situation to former president Musharraf's era, Khan noted that even during martial law, political rallies and media freedom were not as severely restricted. "Musharraf's elections were fairer than theirs, and he did not impose restrictions on the media and rallies," Khan remarked.

Khan concluded by criticising the government's selective approval process, stating, "Their requests are being heard, while ours are being rejected."

On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari accused the PTI of panicking ahead of the rally. She urged them to cease their propaganda about road blockades and container placements.

"It's not our fault if they can't mobilise people from Punjab," she said, adding that no one was stopped and no one would be stopped.

Following the LHC orders, the city administration acted swiftly, with the Deputy Commissioner's office issuing an NOC for the PTI rally at Lahore's Link Road, Kahna, but with 43 conditions.

These conditions include that the rally must take place between 3 PM and 6 PM, no hate speech is allowed, and K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur must apologize for his inappropriate remarks made at the Islamabad rally.

Meanwhile, PTI's preparations for the Lahore rally are in full swing. A convoy led by CM Gandapur is scheduled to depart from Swabi in the morning.

The chief minister's convoy will carry machinery to remove any obstacles placed along the route.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Information Adviser, Barrister Saif, confirmed that all preparations for the Lahore rally have been completed.

"A sea of people from Swabi will head towards Lahore," he declared, urging the government not to create hurdles for the rally. "Maryam Nawaz should keep her composure," he added.