[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]LAHORE: After being postponed twice, the PTI finally secured a conditional approval on Sunday to hold its electoral rally on Monday (today).
The Lahore district administration met with the party’s leadership to plan the rally, its route, and security measures, as directed by Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
The district administration, on the other hand, enforced a condition that no PTI politician speak out against the judiciary or any other institution.
Earlier in the day, the caretaker chief minister of Punjab tweeted that there were no restrictions on political activity in the province.He went on to say that all political parties were free to organise election campaigns.
He did, however, point out that political activities were hampered by the installation of Section 144 of the PPC on a day set aside for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket match and the Lahore Marathon, both of which had been scheduled for some time.
Previously, following the implementation of Section 144 in Lahore by the caretaker Punjab government and the deployment of Rangers in the city, PTI Chairman Imran Khan postponed the party’s election rally yet again to avoid any unfortunate occurrence.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the media that Imran would personally lead the party’s election rally on Monday.
He advised the party activists and supporters to remain nonviolent as the administration aimed to “create an atmosphere of terror and turmoil” to “avoid the elections”.
He revealed that the party’s senior officials had lengthy discussions about the present political and security situation.
During the discussion, Imran was updated on the caretaker government’s “discriminating attitude” as well as the security situation in Lahore.
Given the “ugly” circumstances and the reported murder of a die-hard PTI activist Ali Bilal alias Zillay Shah on March 8, the party president decided to postpone the electoral rally until another day.
Qureshi advised party activists to return home and keep calm.
“The current leadership sought to create disorder in the country to steer clear of the elections. “The PTI activists must not fall into the trap of imported rulers and provide them with this opportunity,” he added.
He claimed that the Punjab caretaker administration was attempting to create a security scenario in the province.
He emphasised that PTI leaders Dr. Babar Awan, Mian Aslam Iqbal, and Dr. Yasmin Rashid have complained to the Election Commission of Pakistan over the acts of the caretaker administration (ECP). Dr. Awan also complained to the court about its “biassed” stance.
The ECP has arranged a meeting on Monday to discuss the PTI’s petitions against the enforcement of Section 144 in Lahore, which would be presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
The enforcement of Section 144 under the guise of the PSL cricket match was contended to be unconstitutional in the submissions.
They also claimed that the rally routes and the PSL matches were not the same.
They also stated that the PTI rally will stop at 5:30 p.m., while the PSL matches would begin at 7 p.m.
The former foreign minister claimed that the caretaker government planned to cancel the PSL cricket tournament and arrest PTI leaders and activists, but that the party would not allow it.
He asked the chief judge of the Lahore High Court to hear the PTI’s application.
“We selected for an alternate route for our election campaign to avoid any impediment in the vehicular traffic during the PSL and Lahore Marathon. “There was no threat to these events from the PTI rally,” he stated.
According to Qureshi, the PTI rally is being held in conjunction with the approaching elections, for which a timeline has been determined based on Supreme Court directions.
But, he said that the province’s caretaker government was behaving badly and causing instability.
PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry told the media on the occasion that the country has been deprived of fundamental, political, and constitutional rights.
He went on to say that the current leadership dreaded Imran.
“They sought to martyr poor political activists by causing unrest in order to avoid elections,” he said, adding that the PML-N had no political future.
He pointed out that, despite the installation of Section 144, the PML-N was able to organise a convention, but the PTI was unable to hold a rally.
“The current rulers are so terrified that they have prevented PTI activists from attending Data Darbar,” he continued.
He maintained that it seemed that the ECP was working in partnership with the caretaker rulers.
“The incumbent rulers want to convert Pakistan into Burma [now Myanmar]. They are increasing the difficulties of the country,” he claimed.
Separately, the PTI wrote a letter to the Lahore deputy commissioner and informed her that the rally had been scheduled on March 13.
A copy of the letter, read: “It was agreed as per communication with you on 11th March, 2023, that [the] rally planned on 12th March, 2023 should be rescheduled, mentioned in your letter dated 11/03/2023. [The] rally [has been] scheduled on 13th March, 2023 [and] will be led by ex-prime minister Imran Khan.”
The letter further stated that the PML-official N’s social media had alerted the PTI to the fact that it had organised a convention in [Lahore’s] Bhatta Chowk on Sunday, aided by police security.
“Such acts plainly suggest biassed practises, where [the] PTI was not permitted to organise [an] electoral rally,” according to the letter.
It was noticed that the caretaker Punjab CM’s Twitter handle had proclaimed that political activities were not prohibited and that all parties were free to run their campaigns.
“In the light of [the] statement made by CM above, [the] rally and other activities were restricted only for today [Sunday] and there is no restriction for tomorrow. It is further submitted that [the] Election Commission [of Pakistan] has not announced any restriction on political activities including [staging a] rally,” the letter stated.
“Therefore, it is the domain of [the] Election Commission [of Pakistan] which has not imposed any ban. Therefore, you are not competent to adhere [to] the same,” it continued.
“You are hence requested to provide security to [the] PTI chairman and to all [the] participants of [the] rally and also to deploy security [personnel on] the points mentioned in the route attached. Special security arrangements are required for the ex-prime minister. The rally will also be attended by senior leadership and ex-ministers,” the letter concluded.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
