Tag: Rally

  • Half of Lahore sealed ahead of PTI’s Minar-e-Pakistan jalsa

    Punjab authorities have blocked several roads in Lahore including entry and exit points of the city ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s jalsa in Minar-e-Pakistan, set to be held today (Saturday) at 9pm.

    With the help of containers and trucks, the roads have been blocked. According to details, police have also placed barricades on major Lahore roads including Ravi Bridge and Thokar Niaz Baig, the two major entry and exit points which lead to Minar-e-Pakistan.

    In a tweet, City Traffic Police Lahore has given details about the closed roads and advised residents to use alternative routes.

    In the early hours of Saturday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan called on his supporters in Lahore to attend the jalsa after Taraweeh prayers which he believes will “break all records”. 

    “Everyone must assert their right as people of a free nation that won its independence and come to Minar-e- Pakistan,” he added. 

    Earlier, the government gave a green signal to PTI to hold its powershow, however, the closure of roads has created problems for residents.

  • Lahore High Court extends halt on Zaman Park police operation till tomorrow

    Lahore High Court extends halt on Zaman Park police operation till tomorrow

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has extended the injunction on the police operation to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Zaman Park till tomorrow.

    Yesterday, the court had ordered the police to stop the operation to arrest Imran Khan till 10 am today.

    At the hearing of the petition against the police operation at LHC today, the court said that on Thursday all parties should sit together and find a solution. Stating that we are being dishonored as a nation, the judge said, “Move your rally; for God’s sake, let people live their routine lives.”

    LHC also stopped PTI from holding a rally this Sunday at Iqbal Park (Minar-e-Pakistan) and asked the party to let citizens live their routine lives.

    The party was planning to hold a “historic” public rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan on March 19 and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was set to lead it — despite “security threats”.

    PTI workers clashed for nearly 24 hours with the law enforcers trying to get through the party supporters and arrest Khan.
  • PTI agrees not to speak against state, institutions and judiciary in rally today

    PTI agrees not to speak against state, institutions and judiciary in rally today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been allowed to stage an election rally in Lahore with certain caveats attached to the permission.

    According to media reports, a meeting was held at the direction of Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi where the permission was discussed. PTI leadership submitted an affidavit, assuring the city administration of its full cooperation with them, police and security officials.

    The party also assured the authorities that they would not give speeches against state institutions and the judiciary. The PTI would be responsible if public property is demanded during the rally, read the affidavit.

    According to PTI Lahore Chapter President Imtiaz Shaikh, a rally will be taken out from Zaman Park to Data Darbar at 2pm today.

    “Imran Khan will lead the rally,” he confirmed.

    This would be the first rally that Khan would lead in more than four months.

  • CM Mohsin Naqvi says PTI worker died in car accident

    CM Mohsin Naqvi says PTI worker died in car accident

    Interim Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi and Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar on Saturday jointly addressed the press conference, presenting their case that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Ali Bilal lost his life in a car accident and not due to custodial torture by the Punjab police.

    Both of them claimed that PTI leadership had known the truth yet accused the Punjab government of Bilal’s death.

    CM Naqvi said that the Vice president of the PTI in Central Punjab Raja Shakeel informed PTI leader Yasmin Rashid that Bilal was hit by a car. Later, Rashid also informed the party about it at Zaman Park.

    He added that all the evidence will first be taken to Bilal’s family. He claimed that the PTI worker’s father was also offered money to stick to torture allegations.

    Naqvi asserted that the government will financially help the family.

    “I am accused of murder, is it that easy to level murder accusations on someone?” he asked, adding that the PTI is openly asking to file an FIR for the murder.

    Naqvi said he would have answered the accusations “in a different manner” had he not been in CM’s position.

    Addressing the presser, Punjab IG said that the people who brought Bilal to the hospital have been arrested and will be presented before a court.

    “Action will be taken if evidence of police torture is found,” the IG said.

    During the press briefing, confessional video statements of the two suspects, who are currently under police custody, were also played.

    On March 8, PTI workers were picked up by the police when a clash took place just before a scheduled election rally.

    Later, the party leadership claimed that Bilal was tortured and killed while in police custody. Bilal’s postmortem report, issued by the Mayo Hospital, says the victim suffered “massive blunt trauma”, while a fracture to his skull and subsequent bleeding has been cited as the cause of death. The report also noted damage to his liver, spleen and testes, which led to profuse bleeding.

  • ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, addressing a rally in Chishtian, said, “Agar ap ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote toh matlab ap mujrim ko vote de rahy hai. Is ka matlab ap burai ke sath khary hai. Is ka matlab ke ap Allah ke farman ke khilaf ja rahy hai.” (People who vote for PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif will be siding with a convict and are on the wrong side. This also means that you will go against Allah’s orders.)

    This is not the first time that PTI leader has played religious card against opponents or has mentioned religion in his speeches.

    Another time, while addressing his supporters, he said “You have to spread my message to the public just like the prophets of Allah did”.

    The former prime minister once also said that those who defected from his party [PTI] committed shirk. Shirk, or infidelity to God, is considered a severe sin in Islam.

    “Those who do wrong things to save their jobs commit sin, it is shirk [idolatry]. Those who sell their self-respect and themselves, it is also counted as shirk because Allah is Al-Haqq”, he said.

    Moreover, in Chishtian, the PTI leader said Chishtian is not a stronghold of the PML-N as it claims.

    “We make the country’s biggest robbers prime ministers. Today, the people ruling the country have been robbing the country for 30 years,” he reiterated.

    He once again accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and said that the body is a “Pet of the coalition government”.

    Clarifying his earlier remarks against the Pakistan Army, Khan said that “this country is mine and so is the army”.

  • Court to hear Gill’s plea for bail on Sept 5

    Court to hear Gill’s plea for bail on Sept 5

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s Chief of Staff Dr Shahbaz Gill approached Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday, September 2, after failed efforts to get bail from a trial court in a sedition case filed against him.

    Gill requested that he should be released on bail, stating that senior doctors at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) performed a medical examination on August 17 and the medical board found “evidence of physical torture”. 

    The court has fixed a hearing on September 5.

    Shahbaz Gill’s bail plea dismissed in sedition case

    A district and sessions court in Islamabad dismissed the post-arrest bail petition of Gill on Tuesday (August 30).

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal pronounced the reserved verdict.

    Shahbaz Gill was taken into custody on August 9 from Bani Gala Chowk for inciting the public against state institutions.

    There have been claims of torture and sexual abuse by Gill during his detention.

    PTI leader Shireen Mazari said that the rejection of Gill’s plea was “shameful”.

    She alleged that the “state is hellbent on torturing Gill to try and get to IK”.

    Islamabad court rejects plea to send Gill on physical remand

    A district and sessions court in Islamabad rejected a request by the Islamabad Police for an extension in the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill on August 24. He is under custody in a sedition case.

    Another case has also been registered against Gill over possession of an illegal weapon.

    Read More: ‘Yes, it’s true’: Shahbaz Gill confirms he was sexually assaulted in police custody

    The prosecution sought an extension in Gill’s physical remand, which was strongly opposed by PTI’s lawyers. After hearing the arguments, the court sent Gill on judicial remand.

    Islamabad court approves two-day physical remand of Shahbaz Gill

    A district and sessions court on Monday (August 22) granted a two-day physical remand of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill, to the Islamabad Police in a sedition case.

    Gill was presented in court today after he was discharged from the Pakistan Institute Of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, where he was admitted last week.

    During the hearing, the judge asked about his medical report and remarked that the decision to grant an extension in remand will be taken after reviewing the report.

    Gill told the court: “I was fed forcefully; 10-12 people shaved me; they lied to me about my bail.”

    Earlier, a video of Gill surfaced on the internet where he can he heard saying that he is eating in protest.

    PTI lawyer Babar Awan told the court that Gill has been in custody for 14 days and that it was enough time for the police to investigate him.

    However, the prosecution disagreed and demanded that more time was needed for the probe. The prosecutor requested the court to extend Gill’s remand.

  • ‘Will get fresh tear gas if needed,’ Rana Sanaullah warns PTI

    ‘Will get fresh tear gas if needed,’ Rana Sanaullah warns PTI

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said if the need arises, fresh, effective and updated tear gas will be used against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters who are ready to hold a rally at Islamabad’s Parade Ground today.

    Meanwhile, it has been reported that a pistol was recovered from a man who was present at the rally venue.

    The police have arrested the man and he is now being investigated.

    In a press conference today (Saturday), Sanaullah said that the expired tear gas, which he claimed was bought by his “predecessors”, had finished. “Now they [police] will get everything effective, fresh and updated if the need arises.” However, he advised participants at PTI rally not to cause chaos. “It would be better if they don’t create a situation.”

    He said that in the future, any such “seditious” rallies won’t be tolerated in the capital.

    Regarding a question about PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the federal minister said he should “correct” his matters and refrain from “creating rebellion and instability” in Pakistan.

    “All the political parties in the country at the moment are on one side, trying to solve the ongoing crises, while Imran Khan is busy abusing everyone and playing the politics of hatred,” the interior minister added.

    Prior to this, PTI alleged that the Islamabad police had used expired tear gas against them on May 25. Later, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan had stated that expired tear gas shells were not used.

    On Friday, the Staff Duties Directorate at the General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi permitted PTI to organise its jalsa at Parade Ground in the federal capital.

    The permission is only valid for July 2. The NOC was given on the condition that the public gathering shall not disturb or disrupt the fundamental rights of the citizens of Islamabad and adjoining areas nor shall it block Islamabad Expressway or any other road. The gathering shall end at midnight.

  • ‘High hopes from youth and women’: Khan reveals plan for 2 July rally

    ‘High hopes from youth and women’: Khan reveals plan for 2 July rally

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan revealed his plans to lead the July 2 protest at the Islamabad Parade Ground against the “imported government” in a meeting of the party’s political committee.

    Khan said that he had high hopes from the youth and women of the country, urging them to register for the “tiger force”. He said that the youth and women were now politically more mature than ever, as is evident from their reaction against the ousting of his government.

    The meeting also had PTI’s Central Secretary General Asad Umar, Pervez Khattak, and Aamir Mehmood Kiyani in attendance.

    This is Khan’s second call for a protest since Azadi March.

  • PDM announces nationwide protests against inflation from October 20

    PDM announces nationwide protests against inflation from October 20

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday announced countrywide protests against rising inflation and poor economic policies from October 20, reports Dawn.

    Speaking to the media after the PDM meeting, Maulana Fazl said that the nation is suffering due to high inflation, adding that the PDM stands with the public shoulder to shoulder.

    “Rallies and demonstrations will begin from the district level while all PDM component parties will meet at the provincial level. PDM will lead rallies and demonstrations, stand shoulder to shoulder with people and get them their due rights,” Maulana Fazl said.

    “We will go a step further and hold wheel-jams and long march, but step by step,” he said and also called for fresh general elections in the country.

    “We are not discussing local bodies polls – the main issue is holding of free and fair general elections in the country. There is no reason of holding local government elections when there is no legitimate government in the country,” said Maulana Fazl.

  • VIDEO: Firdous Ashiq Awan lashes out at crowd

    VIDEO: Firdous Ashiq Awan lashes out at crowd

    Former Assistant to Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, addressed a rally in Rasoolpur, Sialkot, when people started chanting slogans against her and expressed their complaints and reservations, reported Geo News.

    At first, the former aide tried to calm the crowd but eventually, things got out of hand.

    In response to the crowd’s slogans, Firdous said: “If you people had employed similar efforts [during the elections] as you are doing now, I would have still been part of the assembly.”

    In response, people said that they had voted for her.

    She argued that there is some conspiracy against her. She said, “I will work for my constituency, as no one else will.”

    Rasoolpur is Awan’s constituency, from where she lost her National Assembly (NA) seat on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ticket to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani.

    Earlier in May, Awan humiliated Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sialkot Sonia Sadaf during a visit to Ramzan Bazaar in Sialkot.

    In June, Awan made headlines when she slapped Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhel. The incident took place off-air after the two were seen brawling with each other on Express News‘ talk show, ‘Kal Tak with Javed Chaudhry’.