[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]On Monday, Islamabad police arrived in Lahore to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, who had left his Zaman Park mansion to lead an electoral rally.
Following the issuance of a non-bailable arrest warrant for Imran Khan in the case of threatening a female judge earlier in the day, a team of Islamabad police arrived in the Punjab capital on a special helicopter to arrest the deposed prime minister, according to news.
Imran claimed that Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry was aware that imprisoned party leader Shahbaz Gill was being tortured, but she refused to release him on bail. On the accusation of Islamabad Saddar Magistrate Ali Javed, the former premier was booked in a terrorism case for threatening the extra sessions judge.
Meanwhile, after being postponed twice, the PTI has now secured a conditional approval to hold its electoral rally today, which was originally slated for Sunday.
عمران خان ریلی کی قیادت کیلئے نکل پڑے#ImranKhanRally pic.twitter.com/IA1CU5Y5xv
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 13, 2023
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.
عوام کا سمندر اس وقت لاہور سڑکوں پر موجود ہیں
#ImranKhanRally pic.twitter.com/60nH0rybHC
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 13, 2023
The district administration, on the other hand, enforced a condition that no PTI politician speak out against the judiciary or any other institution.
According Pakistani media reports, Imran Khan is driving his bullet-proof vehicle to Lahore’s Data Darbar, where he is due to meet his fans.
چیئرمین عمران خان کی زیر قیادت ریلی داتا دربار کیجانب رواں دواں، تاحد نگاہ عوام کی شرکت۔
#ImranKhanRally
pic.twitter.com/neFuPTRzfL— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 13, 2023
Previously, following the caretaker Punjab government’s installation of Section 144 in Lahore and the deployment of Rangers in the city, the PTI chairman postponed the party’s election rally on Sunday once more to avoid any unfortunate incident.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the media that Imran would personally lead the party’s election rally today.
He advised the party activists and supporters to remain nonviolent as the administration aimed to “create a climate of terror and turmoil” to “avoid holding the elections”.
پاکستان کی شان ۔ عمران خان
#ImranKhanRally pic.twitter.com/nYOzZmvxCg— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 13, 2023
Earlier today, the Lahore High Court (LHC) asked concerned parties, including the caretaker government, to respond by March 14 to a PTI petition contesting the imposition of a ban on protests and gatherings under Section 144 of the Cr.P.C.
The PTI had petitioned the LHC against the enforcement of Section 144 and requested protection for today’s demonstration.
The suit, submitted by PTI leader Hammad Azhar through counsel Azhar Siddique, questioned how such illegal acts could be committed despite the Election Commission of Pakistan issuing an election timetable (ECP).
The petition said that after the election date in Punjab was set for April 30, 2023, the PTI announced its election campaign would begin on March 12, 2023, and filed an application with the interior secretary seeking a no-objection certification (NOC) to hold rallies. It went on to say that the PTI had been granted conditional permission to organise the protest.
According to the appeal, on March 12, the deputy commissioner of Lahore “illegally and wrongfully” implemented Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the provincial capital, prohibiting and limiting the petitioner’s political party’s ability to undertake an election campaign.
“All efforts were made specifically to sabotage and restrain the PTI from conducting its rally well in advance of a fully scheduled rightful, lawful and constitutional political rally,” the petition maintained.
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