PTI Lahore rally comes to a sudden halt after city admin cuts power, seizes stage

The much-hyped Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Lahore rally ended abruptly with the firebrand leader Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur even failing to reach the venue before the 6pm deadline set by the local administration in a no-objection certificate (NOC).

Following the expiration of the deadline, Lahore police took control of the stage and turned off the microphone and lights, with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other party leaders leaving the stage.

Except Gohar and Salman Akram Raja, first tier leadership didn’t manage to address the participants of the rally — which Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari claimed attended by a few hundreds. 

Bokhari also censured Gandapur for turning a blind eye to the issues his province was facing and instead focusing on public gatherings.

Gandapur and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, who were leading convoys from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had not arrived at the venue by the end of deadline.

The chief executive was reportedly bringing rescue 1122 ambulances and heavy machinery to remove any hurdles on their way, drawing flak from the Punjab government for “using KP’s resources” for Lahore rally. 

On the other hand, the deputy commissioner Lahore has warned of “stringent action” if the former ruling party violated the conditions mentioned in the NOC. He ordered the jalsa administration to end the public gathering immediately. 

Today’s rally comes after a no objection certificate (NOC) was issued by the provincial capital’s deputy commissioner a day earlier following the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) instructions which had directed the city’s administration to decide on the Imran Khan-founded party’s request for a public gathering. 

‘Low-attendance’

Punjab Minister Bokhari claimed that the Imran Khan-founded party has failed to gather larger number of supporters for the Lahore jalsa, saying that the people of Pakistan have rejected the party’s “politics of anarchy”.

Giving a breakdown of attendance at the public gathering, she claimed only 1,500 people from Lahore reached the venue.

“PTI’s Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan leadership arrived with 100 to 150 people, while Sheikh Imtiaz managed to gather only 15 to 20 people. Rai Hassan Nawaz brought only 60 to 70 people,” she said.

Furthermore, the minister claimed 1,500 to 1600 people from Lahore attended the rally; 65 to 85 people from Gujranwala; 63 to 77 people from Faisalabad; 26 to 32 from Sahiwal; and 117 to 155 from Multan. 

This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.