PTI granted permission to hold rally at Lahore’s Kahna area

LAHORE: The Lahore district administration on Friday granted permission to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold its public gathering in the provincial capital’s Ring Road, Kahna area, on Saturday (tomorrow).

The Deputy Commissioner issued a no objection certificate (NOC) subject to the 43 conditions for PTI’s rally including a condition to hold its Jalsa from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Earlier today, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the Lahore Deputy Commissioner to decide on PTI’s request to hold a public gathering in the provincial capital on September 21 by 5 pm today.

Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem and Justice Farooq Haider heard the plea filed by PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sheikh Imtiaz Mehmood.

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party termed the holding of rally a “do-or-die” situation and expressed optimism about the success of the power show in Lahore.

According to the SOPs, all those PTI leaders under trial for hate speech in Islamabad Jalsa are prohibited to participate or appear on stage. The document further abides that no anti-state or anti-institution sloganeering and statements should be used during the Jalsa.

The conditional permission from the Lahore district administration also demanded a public apology from KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for his ‘vitriol’ during Islamabad Jalsa on September 8, 2024.

It added that no Afghan flag was to be hoisted and no Afghan paid manpower to be brought to Jalsa and directed that “No audio or video message of Proclaimed Offenders or any convicted person shall be aired or shown.”

Another condition reads, “No proclaimed offender will participate or appear in Jalsa. If so facilitating their arrest will be the responsibility of the Administration of Jalsa, failing which Admin will be tried for abetment.”

Earlier, the authorities denied permission to the Imran-founded party to hold the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. Lahore police have also sealed the Minar-e-Pakistan and adjacent Greater Iqbal Park.