LAHORE: Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, was tense on Saturday morning ahead of a planned rally by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, with party leaders complaining of a crackdown on supporters and roadblocks obstructing movement.
After days of uncertainty on whether the rally would be held, the district administration on Friday evening gave the PTI permission to hold the event from 3-6pm in the Kahna area of the city’s Ring Road, subject to compliance with 43 conditions, including that supporters would not cause unrest or chant anti-state slogans.
The main aim of the rally, which follows one held in the federal capital of Islamabad on Sept. 8, is to mobilize supporters for the release of Khan, who has been in jail since August last year. He was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. Khan remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by the national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018-22.
The PTI had wanted to organize the rally at Lahore’s historic Minar-e-Pakistan monument, but the district administration allowed a different venue.
“We are okay with this [Kahna] venue as our primary focus is to hold the rally in Lahore irrespective of the location,” Ayesha Ali Bhutta, PTI secretary-information in Lahore, told Arab News over the phone on Friday evening.
Preparations for the rally were underway at around 1130am on Saturday, with groups of supporters arriving at the venue. Most of the eastern city remained open for traffic but access to a main thoroughfare, the Ring Road, leading to the venue, was blocked at a few locations.
Caravans of supporters from various cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the PTI has been in power, and elsewhere in Punjab were also en route to Lahore to attend the rally, according to TV footage.
Bhutta complained of a crackdown on the party ahead of the rally, saying almost 50 leaders and supporters had been arrested. The PTI secretary-information said the Lahore administration had blocked a number of roads in the city with shipping containers to prevent the movement of PTI supporters and make it harder for them to reach the venue.
Despite the odds, she said, the party was resolved to go ahead with the public gathering.
“We have clear instructions from Imran Khan to hold this rally, and we are ready to organize it at the venue given by the local administration,” Bhutta said. “The purpose of this rally is to demand the release of Imran Khan who has been held illegally in jail for over a year now.”
The PTI leader said caravans of PTI supporters had already left from far-flung areas of Punjab for Lahore to participate in the rally.
“Some of our caravans will reach Lahore tonight [Friday] while the remaining will converge on the venue by tomorrow afternoon,” she said, urging the provincial government to remove all blockades in the city and release arrested party supporters and leaders.
In an X post, Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari said PTI supporters were causing unrest on the roads, warning of action.
Speaking to Arab News, Director of Public Relations of the Punjab Police, Syed Mubashar Hussain, declined to comment on the arrests.
“The political party’s leadership is responsible for the security of the rally, and the police will be maintaining law and order in the city as per routine,” he said.
The PTI says it has faced an over year-long crackdown since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of Feb. 8 general elections, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.
The PTI says it won the most seats, but its mandate was “stolen” by the coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which the party says formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.
