PTI to hold ‘historic’ public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan on August 14

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced staging a 'historic' power show at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on August 14, Independence Day.

Senior Vice President PTI Central Punjab Akmal Khan Bari has formally requested Deputy Commissioner Lahore, seeking permission to hold a public gathering at Greater Iqbal Park.

In the letter, the PTI leader assured the government official that the former ruling party would abide by the law during the public meeting.

Earlier on July 6, Imran Khan's party had announced to stage a rally in the Tarnol area in the federal capital.

But, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa suspended the NOC citing the beginning of the month of Muharram and security concerns along with complaints lodged by the local people.

PTI has been facing a crackdown since May 9, 2023, when Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case triggered violent protests across the country, in which several military and civil installations were vandalised by PTI workers.

Following the riots, the crackdown was launched on the PTI to detain the suspect involved in the vandalism with the country’s top civil-military leadership vowing to try rioters under relevant laws of the country including the Army Act. 

The crackdown unleashed a mass exodus of leaders from the former ruling party.

Several PTI bigwigs, including Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, Pervaiz Khattak, Fayazul Hassan Chohan, Aamer Mahmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Imran Ismail, Ali Zaidi, Maleeka Ali Bokhari, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, left the party condemning the May 9 incidents and accusing Imran Khan of plotting to attacks on defense properties.