By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Authorities forcibly dispersed thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday, cutting off electricity to the rally and taking control of the stage after the event ran past its permitted deadline.
The Lahore police took control of the stage, cutting off the microphone and lights, prompting PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other leaders to leave. Notably, the first-tier leadership, except Gohar and the party’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, were unable to address the rally.
As the electricity supply ended, Khan’s supporters used cellphones to light up the venue; however, the sudden power cut led many supporters to leave.
The local administration, complying with Lahore High Court’s instructions, granted permission for the rally from 3-6 p.m., subject to 43 conditions, including no unrest or anti-state slogans ¹.
“The timeline was from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and we gave the PTI until 7 p.m. to wind up,” a district administration official said. “Police took control of the stage after the 6 p.m. deadline expired.”
The firebrand Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, leading convoys from Khan’s strong support base, did not arrive at the venue by the deadline. Gandapur later reached the empty venue.
Provincial senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted, “The last breaths of the revolution! At 6:38 p.m.,” sharing images of the empty stage.
However, PTI thanked supporters, calling the turnout a “tsunami.” The party provided footage showing the rally, held in Lahore’s Kahna area, drew thousands of supporters from across Pakistan, who demanded Khan’s release from prison, where he has been held on multiple charges for over a year.
Video footage showed long queues of caravans of Khan supporters forming on sections of the Islamabad-Lahore motorway.
Dozens of PTI workers were reportedly arrested, with KP administration’s spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif alleging authorities created hurdles through various tactics. “Blocking routes and arresting workers, despite granting permission for the public gathering, is a shameful act,” Saif said.
“The fear of the Punjab government is proof of the rally’s success…The closure of roads around the rally’s venue is a glaring proof of the Punjab government’s failure.”
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar called the rally a “flop,” saying PTI failed to deliver on promises. “They talked a lot about the Lahore rally and promised so much. Just like in Islamabad, the Lahore rally flopped.”
Tarar maintained all roads were open and PTI had “free access” to enter the city. “We gave them a free hand and ensured their security. Even with this preparation and time, they failed to galvanize followers from across the country.”
Earlier, the party managed to hold a public gathering on September 8 in Sangjani, Islamabad. However, the power show was soon followed by a crackdown against party leaders for allegedly breaching the terms of the NOC and the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024.”
Pakistan’s political landscape has been tumultuous since Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote in 2022, and the rally in Lahore was the latest show of support for the former premier.
The party has struggled to hold rallies nationwide, facing repeated permission denials amid strained ties with the country;’s powrful military.
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