The Lahore district administration has granted permission to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold its highly anticipated rally on the Ring Road in Kahna on Saturday, in accordance with directives from the high court. The deputy commissioner issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) with 43 conditions, including limiting the rally’s duration from 3 pm to 6 pm.
One condition required Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to publicly apologize for his remarks during the Islamabad Jalsa on September 8, while barring individuals on trial for hate speech from participating or appearing on stage.
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Additionally, anti-state slogans and Afghan flags are prohibited at the event, and no Afghan manpower is allowed to be brought to the rally. The administration also emphasized that no proclaimed offenders should participate, with the responsibility for their arrest falling on the rally organizers.
In a video message, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the administration not to obstruct the rally and encouraged workers to attend peacefully and on time. He expressed confidence in the event’s success, with incarcerated PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan referring to the rally as a “do-or-die” situation for the party.
The rally’s timing remains a point of contention, with PTI leaders pushing to extend the event until 11 pm, while negotiations with the district administration continue. Initially denied permission to hold the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, PTI has shifted its plans to Ring Road, with preparations, including a special container for KP Chief Minister Gandapur, already in motion.
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Meanwhile, the Punjab government has devised a plan to arrest around 3,700 individuals wanted in connection with the May 9 incidents. Lahore police, using data from Safe City cameras and modern technology, have formed special teams to identify and apprehend these suspects during the rally. Despite challenges, PTI continues its efforts to organize rallies across the country, with the most recent one held on September 8 in Sangjani, Islamabad.