Lahore, Sept 20: The Punjab government late on Friday night refused to give jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI permission for its much-hyped power show at Lahore’s historic Minar-e-Pakistan but allowed the party to hold its rally at the outskirts of the city on Saturday.
Following the Lahore High Court order, the Lahore deputy commissioner in a no objection certificate (NOC) permitted the party to hold its rally at Kahna in a cattle market on Saturday.
The commissioner set 43 conditions, including fixing a time limit for the rally from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The administration also put a condition that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur tender a public apology for his hate speech against the institutions, particularly the army, in the party’s Islamabad rally on September 8.
The NoC also said no anti-state/anti-institution sloganeering and statements be made during the rally and restricted the PTI that no Afghan flag be hoisted or Afghan paid manpower be brought to the rally.
“No proclaimed offender will participate/appear in Jalsa. If so facilitating their arrest will be the responsibility of the administration of Jalsa,” the NOC said in its conditions.
Khan, 71, has termed the holding of the rally a “do-or-die” situation and expressed optimism about the success of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s power show in Lahore.
The PTI leader and the district administration are bickering over the timing of the rally with the former insisting on extending the time limit to 11 pm.
Negotiations are underway to finalise the rally’s time, sources said.
PTI’s Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, expressed his party’s disappointment in not being allowed to hold the rally at historic Minar-e-Pakistan.
He said the government allocated a venue (cattle market) on the outskirts of Lahore due to its fear that the rally might be a historic show.
Bhachar said the government has already placed containers on the city roads to block the movement of the people and has been arresting PTI workers across the province.
“But despite all the negative tactics, the PTI will put up a better show,” he said.
The PTI in the past has held successful gatherings at Minar-e-Pakistan.
The police have also sealed off all Lahore entry points in case the PTI presses ahead with its schedule on Saturday.
Gandapur announced his plan to reach Lahore along with the party supporters and workers.
When asked whether the Punjab government will stop Gandapur and others coming from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, provincial Information Minister Azma Bokhari said: “If they dare to come to Lahore tomorrow, they will see what reception we have for them.”
Bokhari in a statement said the PTI’s track record is not good as it promoted violence and hate in the past rallies.
“Besides, the intelligence agencies have intercepted some calls of the PTI leaders who were heard planning to create a law and order situation in Punjab,” she said.
Senior PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said: “Come what may, the party will hold the Lahore rally.”
He said the government of Maryam Nawaz was using fascist tactics to stop the rally but she would fail.
The party said the rally — Lahore Jalsa as it is being called — is being held to put pressure on the government to “free Imran Khan from jail”, “uphold the Constitution” and against “unprecedented inflation”.
Lahore is the capital of the Punjab province, where the government is helmed by Maryam Nawaz of Khan’s arch-rival party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
On an action-packed Friday, police took over the rally venue, the Minar-e-Pakistan here, and arrested 50 PTI members from different parts of the province as Khan threatened the government with a ‘jail bharo’ (court arrest).
Khan, who has been in prison for the last 14 months, said: “The September 21 Lahore rally is a ‘do and die’ issue for PTI. The Constitution guarantees the right of assembly and if this right was denied, PTI supporters will flood the jails.”
Khan has also asked the masses to come out of their homes and participate in the September 21 rally. “I urge my nation to come out for the Lahore jalsa on Saturday with unwavering resolve and commitment. Resistance against this illegitimate government is a responsibility that every conscientious citizen must undertake. This is a battle for the survival of our future generations!” Khan posted on his X account late on Thursday.
On Friday, the party flooded social media with multiple messages, including some with video messages of its leaders and urged people to come forward and take part in the Lahore Jalsa as it is being advertised. (PTI)
