After being refused permission to hold its planned rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has proposed a different plan.
In the event that the rally site is still inaccessible, the party has reportedly developed a “Plan B,” which centers on massive protests around Punjab, according to Express News.
The PTI leadership has made the decision not to hold the gathering at any other location in Lahore.
Rather, they will plan demonstrations in several Punjabi districts. Party officials and members will receive instructions to stage protests in their local communities, according to party sources.
Protests are scheduled to take place in Lahore at strategic sites like Mall Road, Azadi Chowk, and Liberty Chowk.
PTI leaders have claimed that the government is inadvertently increasing the effectiveness of their demonstrations by refusing permission for the rally.Recently, PTI made the decision to organize a public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on February 8 and subsequently submitted a request to the Lahore administration.
Express News reports that PTI has made the decision to organize a power show at Greater Iqbal Park.
The party has designated Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza to manage the event, and she has formally requested approval for the rally from the deputy commissioner of Lahore.
The request specifies that PTI intends to conduct the rally at the Greater Iqbal Park ground and is currently seeking a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the relevant authorities.
The rally’s organizing committee comprises Aliya Hamza, the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, and Ali Ijaz Butt.
According to PTI sources, should permission be denied, the party intends to organize a nationwide protest as a reaction.The President of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chapter, Junaid Akbar, has issued a warning regarding a potential nationwide campaign targeting the ruling coalition, highlighting the government’s insufficient dedication to addressing political tensions through dialogue.
In an interview with a local television news channel, Akbar stated that the opposition’s readiness to engage in negotiations was misinterpreted as a display of weakness. His comments followed the PTI’s absence from the fourth round of discussions with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government earlier on Tuesday, thereby hindering the negotiation process.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the ruling alliance commenced discussions in December of the previous year to mitigate the political tensions within the country.
Nevertheless, the dialogue process was disrupted when PTI alleged that the government had not established judicial commissions to examine the protests of May 9, 2023, and the subsequent actions against PTI demonstrators in Islamabad on November 26, 2024.
