Pakistan, Lahore – is in for a high-voltage political activity today as PTI leaders and ardent supporters begin streaming into the city ahead of the party’s much-awaited power show scheduled for tomorrow at Kahna. Months of dilly-dallying over the nod for the rally finally ended with the Punjab government giving its official go-ahead last night under strict conditions, putting an end to the long-drawn stand-off between the two sides.
PTI had sought the rally to be held at the historic site of Minar-i-Pakistan in Greater Iqbal Park but was allocated Kahna on the Lahore Ring Road. Although a change of venue was managed, party leaders like Leader of Opposition Omar Ayub and KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandpur have been leading convoys to the rally, wanting to push ahead, even against roadblocks.
Permission to hold PTI rally granted with 43 conditions
Punjab govt had allowed the rally of PTI but with a condition that party will have to follow the rules of 43 specific conditions to host this rally. These conditions include how to keep the attendees safe, prevent stampedes by controlling crowds, and not use any anti-state or provocative language. One stern demand is that KP CM Gandpur apologize for his hate speech he delivered when he spoke to a PTI rally in Islamabad on 8 September. However, PTI’s lawyers say that though apology is out of the question, Gandpur may still explain his position by speaking from the rally.
The timing of the rally was also in controversy as the government had insisted that it should take place between 3pm and 6pm. However, PTI negotiators allegedly did not agree to the restriction in terms of timing and Deputy Commissioner Lahore confirmed that this was not going to be dictated.
PTI Convoys Met Resistance
Leaders of PTI claim to have posted their attempts to reach Kahna on social media, with the reported convoys coming from every district of Punjab and KP. Omar Ayub has been posting updates of his convoy bypassing blockages set by the authorities. According to Ayub, “We are doing exactly what Imran Khan is instructing us to do from behind the bars. Burn your bridges and move forward to Lahore.”.
The KP chief minister Gandpur himself led the charge, personally tracking his convoy as it moved past roadblocks near the Attock toll. Video footage of the party workers making their way to the event was published on PTI Lahore’s social media handle, but reports said that several roads, including the Rajana interchange, were blocked.
Detention orders issued for PTI leaders
In a new development that has taken the sparring between the government and PTI to a new level, Lahore’s Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza issued detention orders for five PTI leaders earlier today. As such, the list included Lahore PTI Vice President Akmal Khan Bari, along with leaders Shahzaib Khan, Akhtar Munna, Mazhar Shah, and Raja Shafiq. Detention orders, in this case, mentioned the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. Such people are anti-social and danger their very safety to harm peace. They even accused them of delivering inflammatory speeches.
How does the Punjab Government try to restrict the impact of the rally?
Although the rally by PTI is technically sanctioned, sources claim that Punjab government is quietly working on reducing participation, particularly from outside Lahore. Some of the conditions, as reported, included avoiding to cause any form of disturbance in normal city life, and organisers are being held answerable for curbing any form of violence.
Preparations for eventual chaos have been underway; security forces are on high alert and so are the rally venue. People will be strictly monitored by security personnel and volunteers managing the crowd. No Afghan flags or foreign manpower will be allowed at the gathering.
PML-N Claims PTI Rally Will Fall Flat:
As the rally was to start, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb went off social media claiming that the PTI had failed to attract a large crowd as there were no more than three-dozen people seen at the rally. She further added that the videos of the previous gathering played by PTI to increase the appearance were old. She said her party will release footage of the actual rally to show the gap between the present and the projected numbers.
PTI rally becomes a watershed moment in the present-day political battleground of Pakistan as its top brass addresses the Kahna crowd, with interest on both sides almost as palpable as the thunderous applause along the roads.
