PTI Islamabad rally postponed after NOC cancelation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) postponed the party’s power show in Islamabad’s Tarnol today after the federal capital administration canceled the No Objection Certificate (NOC).

Talking to the media, PTI senior leadership including Chairman Barrister Gohar said that PTI got a green signal for the power show four months after the request for the NOC was made, but the commissioner canceled the NOC.

Opposition leader Omar Ayub announced that the party had decided to postpone the rally. “God willing […] we will hold it after Ashura through a legal process,” he said.

The Chief Commissioner of Islamabad has suspended the NOC issued to PTI for public gatherings due to “security issues” a day before the scheduled meeting on Friday.

The decision was taken during a meeting presided over by the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, in which security agencies expressed their concerns about the potential risks associated with the rally ahead of Muharram. During the meeting, the participants reviewed the applications related to the rally and the prior permission of the Deputy Commissioner.

After the cancellation of NOC, the party filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking contempt proceedings against the Islamabad district administration and police.

The plea named Islamabad chief commissioner, deputy commissioner, inspector general of police, senior superintendent of police (operations), and the SHOs of Tarnol and Ramna police stations as respondents.