Lahore’s Deputy Commissioner, Syed Musa Raza, has requested a report from District Intelligence concerning the approval of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally in the city. The decision to grant permission will be based on an intelligence assessment and recommendations from the Lahore police, who have also been asked to provide input.
This request follows a directive from the Lahore High Court, which ordered the deputy commissioner to decide on PTI’s rally application by 5:00 p.m. today.
Additionally, the court rejected a separate petition aiming to block the rally, with a three-member bench ruling the plea inadmissible. Advocate Nadeem Sarwar had filed the petition, but Justice Farooq Haider dismissed it, stating that the petitioner was not directly impacted.
The final decision on whether the rally can proceed will be made after reviewing the intelligence and police reports to ensure public safety and order.
As PTI prepares for a significant rally in Lahore, the city’s police have been directed to arrest the remaining suspects involved in the May 9 unrest, during which political violence led to widespread damage and clashes.
The police have developed a detailed plan for the event, including stringent security measures, which will be implemented once the district administration approves the rally.
To ensure security, cameras will be installed at all entry points, and officers stationed there will have photos and data of suspects linked to the May 9 incidents.
The police plan to monitor and record all rally activities, focusing on identifying and arresting these suspects. This heightened security approach is part of a larger effort to maintain order and prevent further unrest.
Despite increased tensions, PTI has announced that it will go ahead with the rally in Lahore on September 21, despite ongoing police raids, arrests, and legal obstacles.
In an informal conversation with journalists at Adiala jail, PTI’s founding chairman, Imran Khan, discussed the government’s stance on granting permission for the rally.
Khan asserted that the rally would turn into a protest if permission was denied. He warned that the entire nation would protest at Minar-e-Pakistan if the rally is blocked.
Imran Khan also highlighted that rallies had not been permitted in Lahore for the past year and a half. He argued that suppressing the rally would undermine democracy, as holding such gatherings is a constitutional right.
He further claimed that the PTI rally at Minar-e-Pakistan was intended to safeguard democracy and freedom and that the Supreme Court had supported it, but the rally was being obstructed once again.
