Pakistan: PTI announces plan to hold public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan ground
Islamabad: According to Dawn, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared its intention to stage a public rally at Minar-i-Pakistan Ground on February 8 in protest of its “stolen mandate” in the general elections that were held on the same day last year.
Aliya Hamza, the recently hired top party organizer for Punjab, has applied for a “No Objection Certificate” for the political event from the deputy commissioner of Lahore. Hamza said in her application that she would be organizing the “Jalsa” management together with Ali Ijaz Buttar from NA-117 and Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly.
Aliya Hamza referred to the PTI as a stakeholder in Pakistan’s political and legislative system and emphasized that the Constitution guarantees its leaders, members, and supporters the basic right to engage in political activity.
“Denial of this right is tantamount to violating the basic constitutional principle on which the foundations of political parties and democracy in our country stand,” she added, adding that their freedom to assemble was protected under Article 16 (Dawn report).
Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, attacked the administration of Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz for allegedly “unleashing fascism against people.” The Form-47 government of ‘uncle and niece’ would not be able to prevent the gathering scheduled on February 8, he told Dawn.
Given that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to secure even 30% of the votes cast on February 8, he said that the ruling administration had stolen the PTI mandate with the help of the ruling class.
Bhachar said, “If the government will grant permission to hold the political gathering, the whole of Pakistan will gather at Minar-i-Pakistan ground; otherwise, the party would hold protest rallies at every level across the country,” according to Dawn.
According to Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, people have been struggling with lousy government, inflation, and fascism, and the cybercrime legislation would further silence them via the media. “The conviction of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a ‘fake case’ infuriated the people of Pakistan,” he remarked.
In the 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust case, Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were found guilty by the court on January 17. The founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, received a 14-year prison sentence, while his wife received a seven-year sentence. In a temporary courtroom at Adiala Jail, Judge Nasir Javed Rana delivered the decision, which had been postponed three times.
