PTI plans ‘mass’ rally in Lahore on Sept 15
Amid the dying din of its cancelled rally in Islamabad a few days ago, the opposition PTI has announced a ‘mass political gathering’ at the Minar-i-Pakistan ground (Iqbal Park) on Sept 15.
While the party approached the deputy commissioner for grant of an NOC, a Lahore High Court (LHC) judge directed the registrar office to fix for hearing a separate petition that the PTI had filed seeking permission for holding the rally.
Each time the party sought permission for holding its power show in recent years, the Punjab home department imposed Section 144 to ban political gatherings.
PTI Lahore president Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood, MPA, was arrested from Thokar Niaz Beg when he was heading to Islamabad. The party plans to hold its next mass gathering in Islamabad on Sept 8.
For the Sept 15 Lahore gathering, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan himself submitted the application and sought an NOC claiming that PTI, being the largest political party in the country, expected a large number of people to attend the rally.
Mr Khan, who is also Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, said PTI believed in maintenance of law and order and discipline, therefore, its office-bearers were ready to fully cooperate with the DC office to ensure a smooth and hassle-free gathering on Sept 15 at the Minar-i-Pakistan ground.
The PTI leader quoted several articles of the Constitution and judgements upholding people’s rights to hold political gatherings at public places.