LAHORE , March 13, 2023: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is all set to leader his party’s election rally in Lahore today (Monday) with the city administration placing barricades around Zaman Park and other areas amid imposition of Section 144.
The PTI chief will lead the rally from his residence to Data Darbar at 2pm as a schedule for elections in Punjab has been announced. The polls are scheduled to be held on April 30.
Containers have been parked on roads in several areas, including Garhi Shahu, Canal Road, Dharampura, as preemptive measures by the police. The barricades have disrupted flow of traffic on the roads.
The former prime minister on Sunday rescheduled the rally at the eleventh hour until Monday after the party failed to get relief either from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the imposition of the Section 144 in the provincial capital.
The interim Punjab government had imposed ban on rallies and demonstration late Saturday night in the wake of a PSL match in the Gaddafi Stadium and a marathon race in the city.
Keeping in view the situation, Mr Khan took to Twitter and postponed the rally while urging workers to not engage in any confrontation as the government wanted to provoke clashes between party and the police to delay the elections.
“It seems again Sec 144 has been imposed illegally solely on PTI election campaign as all other public activities are ongoing in Lahore. Only Zaman Park has been surrounded by containers & heavy police contingent. Clearly, like 8 March, Punjab CM & police want to provoke clashes to file more sham FIRs against PTI leadership & workers & to use as pretext for postponing elections,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Election Schedule has been announced so how can Sec 144 be imposed on pol activity? I AM TELLING ALL PTI WORKERS NOT TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP. Hence we have postponed rally till tomorrow,” Mr Khan concluded.
PTI moves LHC against imposition of Section 144
PTI has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court against the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore after issuance of election schedule for general polls.
PTI leader Hammad Azhar submitted the petition through his counsel Azhar Siddique. The ECP, Punjab government and others have been made party in the petition.
The petitioner contended that after release of election schedule, Section 144 could not be imposed in the province. Seeking revocation of the restrictions, the court was pleaded to issue a guideline in this regard for future.
The petition stated that the ECP should end the implementation of Section 144. The implementation of Section 144 on PTI rally in Lahore is illegal and also a violation of the Supreme Court’s decision.
Lahore administration orders early closure of schools ahead of PTI rally
The city district administration in Punjab capital has ordered closure of all the schools and colleges located on the route designated for the PTI owing to security threats by 12pm today (Monday).
Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa issued the directives. He also asked people to keep their shops located on Circular Road closed after 12pm.
PTI given ‘conditional permission’ to stage rally in Lahore
The district administration conditionally allowed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to stage rally tomorrow (Monday).
Sources said the interim Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi directed the district administration to meet with the PTI’s leaders and finalize the strategy for the rally. The administration, however, warned the PTI’s leaders to not give statements against the judiciary and institutions.
It is clear PTI chairman Imran Khan postponed the rally which was to be held on Sunday after suggesting his supporters to remain peaceful given section 144 in Lahore.