The PTI rally in Lahore concluded on a disappointing note on Saturday, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur unable to reach the site on time. As the scheduled time for the rally ended, the sound system was shut down and the lights at the venue were turned off. Police took control of the stage, escorting PTI leaders off one by one using the light from their mobile phones.
While Gandapur arrived late, other key figures such as Omar Ayub and Asad Qaiser also failed to reach the venue in time. Sources within the PTI claimed that the sound system was turned off for the call to prayer and that the rally would not conclude without Gandapur’s address.
Despite this, many PTI supporters left the venue as darkness fell, followed by party leadership. The stage set up at the rally site was also dismantled.
Gandapur arrived at the rally site at 8pm and briefly addressed the remaining supporters, stating, “I have arrived; please accept my presence. I broke through all the obstacles to get here. Are you happy?” The KP CM added that he would soon ensure the release of the PTI founder and then sought permission to leave.
After his short speech, Gandapur departed the rally site.
Several supporters of PTI started leaving the Kahna rally site on Saturday as the police took control of the stage and shut down the lights after the time allotted for the public gathering ended at 6pm.
Hundreds of people gathered for the PTI rally in Lahore’s Ring Road. As soon as the scheduled time ended, the sound system was turned off.
According to Aaj News correspondents, the only lights on the site were of mobile phone flashlights and the DSNG vans. Live footage at 7:07pm showed the stage was being moved.
Sources said that the DJ had winded up the sound system.
Originally, the rally started an hour and a half late, despite the city administration granting Imran Khan’s party a timeframe from 3pm to 6pm. Even so, leaders and supporters continued to arrive at the venue until the very end, with several leaders beginning their speeches during that time.
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. Leaders and supporters continued to arrive at the venue, with several leaders already beginning their speeches.
It was PTI’s second public gathering after the 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 closed the Islamabad-Lahore motorway, effectively blocking access for convoys coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While PTI leaders were delivering speeches, the administration blocked all entry points to Lahore at 6pm to prevent KP CM Gandapur from entering the city. Gandapur was en route to Lahore with a large number of supporters, accompanied by heavy machinery to remove obstacles.
Hamad Azhar was the first to speak at the rally, while the final address was delivered by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar. Other speakers included Sheikh Waqas Akram, Faisal Javed, and several others who gave brief addresses.
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.
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.”
The closure of the Islamabad-Lahore motorway has created difficulties for travellers heading to Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and the airport. Long queues of vehicles have formed at the motorway toll plaza, and routes to Lahore from KP have been blocked.
Law enforcement agencies and police have set up checkpoints at the N-5 bridge in Jorian, where all types of vehicles heading to Lahore are being stopped and checked. Police have established barriers on the bridge to prevent PTI supporters from reaching Lahore.
In Haripur, a convoy of hundreds of supporters led by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan has set off for the rally. The convoy includes provincial minister for local government Arshad Ayub Khan, former provincial minister Yousaf Ayub Khan, and MPA Akbar Ayub Khan.
Supporters chanted slogans demanding the release of PTI founder, “Free prisoner number 804,” as hundreds of PTI’s supporters from all three tehsils of Haripur headed to the rally in their vehicles.
A PTI convoy, led by party chairman Gohar Ali Khan, has set off from Rawalpindi to Lahore. The convoy, which includes leaders Amir Mughal and Shoaib Shaheen, will be taking the GT Road to Lahore due to blockages on the motorway.
Meanwhile, PTI workers gathered at the Peshawar Motorway Toll Plaza waiting for KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who left the toll plaza in his vehicle without meeting them.
Preparations for the Lahore rally have been finalised in KP, with three special containers ready for the CM. Gandapur will lead the convoy, accompanied by heavy machinery to remove any obstacles along the way.
The convoys are set to depart from the M-1 motorway, gathering on the motorway before heading to Lahore under the chief minister’s leadership.
In Swabi, the chief minister would address PTI workers while convoys from other districts would join the central procession. Heavy machinery would accompany the convoys to remove any obstacles along the way, ensuring a smooth journey for the participants heading toward the Lahore rally.
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.
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.
