Imran Khan's party seeks permission to hold rally at Minar-e-Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party has sought permission from the authorities in Punjab province to hold a rally at the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan park in Lahore.

Despite previous denials, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab Senior Vice-President Akmal Khan Bari has formally applied for approval to stage a peaceful rally at the historic venue, Dawn reported.

It said that the party submitted a fresh application seeking permission to hold a mass political gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan once the Champions Trophy cricket matches conclude, leaving “no excuse for the government to deny permission”.

The government had earlier rejected a similar request by PTI Punjab Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza, citing security concerns due to the tri-nation Cricket Series, Champions Trophy and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Associa­tion (CPA) Regional Conference in Lahore.

When contacted, Hamza said, “If the government allows the public meeting before the tournament concludes, we are ready to hold our political show on any given day.” Meanwhile, PTI leaders in different districts have also submitted requests to hold political gatherings.

PTI Mandi Bahauddin district President Tariq Mahmood Sahi has applied for permission to hold a political meeting within the premises of his residence in Dhok Kasib on Feb 26.

Similarly, an application has been filed with Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi for a peaceful political gathering on Feb 23.

Despite the delays in securing major rally permissions, PTI Punjab has initiated smaller-scale political activities, opening offices across Central and South Punjab.

Hamza said PTI ticket-holders in north Punjab have been instructed to set up small tents for political meetings in their constituencies. Additionally, political worker mobilisation efforts have also begun in Central Punjab.

She also said that PTI had planned to present a resolution in the Punjab Assembly against the denial of access to party's founder. However, she claimed that the speaker prorogued the session to prevent debate on the matter.

“We had planned a series of speeches and activities around this resolution, but the speaker ended the session indefinitely,” she said.