Barrister Gohar Threatens Legal Action if Authorities Deny Approval for Public Gathering
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Monday that it will hold a rally at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on April 9, warning of legal action if authorities refuse to grant permission.
The rally’s timing marks the anniversary of the 2022 no-confidence motion that ousted PTI founder and then-Prime Minister Imran Khan from office. Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 following convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other party leaders, PTI KP president Junaid Akbar announced that the former ruling party will hold its rally on April 9, stressing their right to protest peacefully.
He warned that protests would continue wherever necessary if authorities tried to block the rally.
Addressing the conference, CM Afridi highlighted that PTI workers are a “political” group, not an “armed mob,” accusing the PML-N-led government of attempting to silence the party’s founder. He urged the government to issue the non-objection certificate (NOC) for the rally, adding that PTI would handle all arrangements for the political gathering.
CM Afridi also criticized the federal government over the country’s economic situation, noting that 45% of the population lives below the poverty line.
The news conference followed a meeting of opposition leaders in the National Assembly opposition leader’s chamber. Sources said the discussion covered Senate candidates and broader protest strategies, with attendees including PTI chief Barrister Gohar, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Nasir Abbas, and NA Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
After the meeting, Barrister Gohar stated that PTI would approach the courts if permission for the Rawalpindi rally is denied. In informal remarks to the media at Parliament House, he added that the rally aims to demonstrate the party’s commitment to peaceful protest.
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