Imran asks people to ‘assert their right’ as free nation and attend Minar-i-Pakistan rally today

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday called on supporters to “assert their right as people of a free nation” by attending his party’s rally at the Minar-i-Pakistan today, where he intends to outline his “vision of Haqeeqi Azadi”.

In a tweet today, the PTI chief said his party would be holding its sixth public gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan, which he felt would “break all records”.

“My heart tells me it will break all records. I am inviting everyone in Lahore to attend after Tarawih prayers. I will give my vision of Haqeeqi Azadi and how we will pull Pakistan out of the mess cabal of crooks have put our country in,” Imran said.

While expressing concerns that the government may erect obstacles to prevent party supporters from reaching the venue, Imran asserted that it was the fundamental right of the people to participate in a political gathering.

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

According to PTI’s official Twitter account, the rally will begin after Taraveeh prayers at 9pm.

The former premier had on March 13 announced a rally at the Minar-i-Pakistan — the same venue where he launched his campaign for the 2013 elections with a massive show of power — would take place on March 19 but the Lahore High Court had directed the PTI to reschedule its rally and have a dialogue with the administration.

Subsequently, the LHC had on March 22 disposed of a petition of the PTI seeking permission to hold a public rally at venue after the party and the city administration reached an agreement.

Lahore PTI president Imtiaz Mahmood, the petitioner, had submitted his affidavit accepting the terms and conditions along with his undertaking that the rally at the venue will start on March 25 (today) at 10pm and will end around March 26 at 3am. The DC and the CCPO accepted the affidavit and the undertaking filed by the petitioner.

The PTI chief kicked off his election campaign from Lahore at the end of second week of March following wrangling with the interim government of Punjab over ban imposed by local administration on public gatherings.

The rally was originally scheduled for March 11 and March 12 but was postponed after the party failed to get relief either from the Election Commission or the Lahore High Court against the caretaker Punjab government’s order of imposing Section 144 in the provincial capital.

The interim Punjab government had imposed Section 144 citing a Pakistan Super League match in the Qaddafi Stadium and a marathon race in the city. However, in a notification on March 12, the administration had allowed the PTI to take out the public rally on Monday (March 13) but mentioned that it would carry “high-security risk due to the general and specific threats against political gatherings and previous instance of attack on the ex-prime minister”.