Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday received conditional permission to hold a demonstration in Faizabad, Rawalpindi on November 26.
As per a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi, protestors cannot chant any anti-state slogans or deliver speeches that are against “constitutional offices, armed forces and the judiciary”.
The notification stated that if any of the rules were broken, both the party and the organizers could be subject to legal action.
The notice further stated that Faizabad should be abandoned on November 26th night as the England team will be arriving in Rawalpindi on that day for a Test series against Pakistan.
To ensure the safety of the sit-in, the Rawalpindi police have been ordered to take all necessary precautions.
Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, and the administration were advised to follow the route chosen by law enforcement, according to the document, and “Khan will not use a sunroof car before or after the gathering.”
Reacting to the notification, PTI leader Asad Umar said there is no doubt that Imran’s life is in danger and DC has refused to permit him to land helicopter in a safe place.
عمران خان کو جان بوجھ کر خطرے میں ڈالا جا رہا ہے- DC یاد رکھیں دستخط آپ کے ہو رہے ہیں، ہر صورت عمران خان یہیں لینڈ کریں گے، کوئ قانونی جواز نہیں اُنہیں روکنے کا-@Asad_Umar #چلو_چلو_پنڈی_چلو pic.twitter.com/ZGpzr0QsgN
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 25, 2022
“Instead, the administration wants the former PM to land in a dangerous area,” he told the media on Friday.
“The orders are coming from elsewhere, but your signatures are on the document,” Umar told DC Rawalpindi. “If something happens to Imran, you will be held responsible.”
On the other hand, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Friday advised PTI to postpone the long march owing to fears of a terrorist attack.
Umar had previously stated that a tent city would be built in Allama Iqbal Park to house the protesters. The DC responded by stating that no employees would be permitted to spend the night in the park.
The notification stated that “the protest management will be accountable for any loss of life.” Moreover, it forbade the use of drone cameras.
The DC has requested that PTI record the entire event on video and give the police the raw footage.
On November 19, Imran, who has been recovering from bullet wounds sustained in an assassination attempt at the long march earlier this month, gave the call to party supporters to gather in Rawalpindi on November 26.
He said he will also join the protest, where he will “announce the next plan of action”. He urged PTI supporters to reach between 1-2pm.
“This demonstration will not stop,” he said. “All experts agree that there is no way out of the political crisis other than free and fair elections. Therefore, we will demand just one thing in Islamabad.”
