The venue for the PTI rally in Lahore’s Kahna Cattle Market was set up on Saturday, but the event started 1.5 hours later than scheduled. The city administration had allocated a time frame from 3pm to 6pm for Imran Khan’s party; nonetheless, leaders and supporters continue to arrive at the venue, with several leaders already beginning their speeches.

It is PTI’s second public gathering after Sangjani rally on September 8. A heavy police presence has been deployed around the venue, with barbed wire also laid out along the Ring Road.

Meanwhile, the administration has closed the Islamabad-Lahore motorway, effectively blocking access for convoys coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is en route to Lahore with a large number of supporters and has “brought a crane to help remove roadblocks.”

According to the administration, efforts were under way to move the container back to the rally site. The presence of a stagnant pool of sewage behind the PTI rally site has complicated the delivery of the container to the stage area.

On Friday, police arrested “fugitive PTI workers” ahead of the rally as part of the crackdown on people allegedly involved in May 9 events.

Moreover, roads leading to the Kahna rally site have been blocked with containers.

Police allegedly confiscate MPA’s card

On Raiwind Road, police stopped the vehicle of MPA Tarab Rashid Sindhu. When he presented his assembly membership card, the police allegedly confiscated it. After a heated discussion over the card not being returned, the police eventually allowed him to leave, and his vehicle proceeded toward Kahna.

Rashid expressed frustration, stating, “Police should tell me what my fault is. Despite showing my card, I was barely allowed to leave.”

LHC orders DC to grant NOC to PTI

The Lahore High Court had directed the city’s administration to grant a no objection certificate (NOC) for the rally after PTI requested permission to hold it at the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan.

Despite previous attempts to hold rallies being thwarted due to security concerns, PTI successfully conducted a gathering in Sangjani, Islamabad, earlier this month.

43 conditions

The event is subject to 43 specific conditions, including a time limit from 3pm to 6pm and a ban on anti-state speeches. Additionally, individuals with pending legal issues related to hate speech are prohibited from attending.

The provincial administration has also demanded an apology from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for remarks made during the previous rally.

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Former prime minister Imran Khan has branded this rally a “do-or-die” moment, urging supporters to participate for their future. Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan has called for the administration to facilitate attendance for supporters.

In a show of political solidarity, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged the Punjab government to respect PTI’s democratic right to protest.

Over 20 PTI workers were arrested for holding an unauthorised meeting, as authorities prepared to detain individuals linked to past unrest during this rally.