The Islamabad administration offered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf permission to protest in Islamabad on November 4 in exchange for accepting 39 conditions on Thursday.
The PTI’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ hit the roads last Friday from Lahore and has slowly progressed towards its eventual destination Islamabad. It is set to resume its progress on day 7 from Wazirabad.
Meanwhile, PTI’s leaders in Islamabad have been waiting to get permission from the district administration to hold a protest.
Now the local authorities have offered the PTI a spot near T-Chowk in Rawat, at the very edge of Islamabad, to hold their protest. Authorities further said that the permission will be offered only for one day.
The PTI had requested the administration to be allowed to protest at a site between G-9 and H-9 in Islamabad. However, the authorities said that this would result in complete blockage of the Srinagar Highway, one of the capital’s main arteries. The location offered by the administration would ensure that the basic right of movement of citizens will not be affected, the authorities said.
The party will also be required to identify 12 people who will be on stage during the protest. The use of loudspeakers and burning of other parties’ flags will be prohibited.
Bringing weapons into the protest venue or making ‘anti-state, anti-state or anti-ideology of Pakistan’ speeches would not be allowed.
The affidavit also asks the PTI chief to take responsibility to ensure that protesters stay confined to the specified venue. Imran would also be declared responsible for any casualties that might occur during the protest.
The affidavit will require Imran Khan’s signature for permission to be formally granted. Party leaders have not outlined an exact date for the march’s arrival in Islamabad, leader Fawad Chaudhry even said that they want to keep the government guessing about the march’s arrival.