PTI allowed to hold public rally in Lahore with 43 conditions tomorrow

LAHORE: Lahore district administration has granted permission to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to hold its public rally with 43 conditions in Kahna cattle market area of the city on September 21 (tomorrow).

The PTI lawyer said that the administration has fixed a time limit for the gathering from 2pm to 8pm, however, the PTI has asked for the time till 11pm or 12am.

The former ruling party had initially requested permission to hold the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. During a meeting, the district intelligence committee reviewed the changing of the rally’s venue.

District officials evaluated the potential venues based on a police report, after which the deputy commissioner issued an NOC for Kahna.

It is pertinent to mention here that in a no objection certificate (NOC), the deputy commissioner has set 43 conditions for tomorrow’s public gathering.

The conditions included that KP CM Gandapur “should tender apology publically for his vitriol during Islamabad Jalsa on September 8, whereas, all those under trial for hate speech in the previous public gathering shall not be allowed to participate/appear on stage”.

It added that no anti-state/anti institution sloganeering and statement be made during the rally and restricted the PTI that “no Afghan flag to be hoisted and no Afghan paid manpower to be brought to Jalsa”.

Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the deputy commissioner to make a decision regarding the PTI rally by 5pm today.

The directive was issued during a hearing on a petition filed by PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sheikh Imtiaz Mehmood, seeking permission for a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. The case was heard by Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem and Justice Farooq Haider.