ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) postponed its public meeting in Islamabad and rescheduled it for September 8 following the city administration’s rescinding its no objection certificate and closing the roads leading to the federal capital.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan announced that the rally had been postponed and would now take place on September 8 in accordance with PTI founder Imran Khan’s directive.”After meeting with the PTI founder in Adiala jail, we decided to postpone the jalsa,” he stated.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub also confirmed date for the rally was changed on the instruction of Imran.“We have received information that the government is conspiring to spread anarchy, under the cover of the jalsa,” he maintained.
Upon the opposition party’s announcement of a new date for the rally, the Islamabad administration issued a notification granting it permission in this regard.The notification containing 40 instructions is issued by the district magistrate of the federal capital.
“The Islamabad administration revoked the NOC due to protests of the religious parties. The administration would provide security for the September 8 gathering,” it said.However, the notification warned that fundamental rights of the citizens should not be violated by the participants of the rally. People should gather at 4pm and the event should be concluded by 7pm.
“It will be the jalsaorganiser’s duty to disperse the party workers at the end of the rally. The workers will not be allowed to stay at the rally site on September 8,” it said.The notification reemphasised that the permission is granted for public gathering and not for a sit-in.
“No object of lethal or non-lethal force including batons of any size would be wielded by any participant of the gathering nor any participant shall indulge in violence or clashes. In case of any such incidence of clashes/ violence the organisers shall be held responsible.
“Organisers are bound to ensure that the participants do not spend the night or subsequent nights there and are dispersed peacefully,” it maintained.
After the PTI earlier vowed to hold a protest in Islamabad despite the revocation of the NOC for the event, the police sealed multiple key arteries, particularly entry and exit points of the federal capital city.
