LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s administrative committee led by MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal has told the District Intelligence Committee (DIC) that his party will hold its public meeting at Faisal Chowk on The Mall on Sunday (tomorrow) evening come what may.

The first round of talks with the government on Thursday remained inconclusive and the second round of discussion on Friday morning again saw both parties sticking to their points of view. The PTI committee asserted that it would hold the public meeting as per schedule on The Mall.

The DIC stuck to its point that the PTI should change the venue and arrange the public meeting in a “walled” venue in the wake of threat alerts for Lahore and the threats specifically related to the PTI chairman. The DIC also informed the PTI representatives about the ban on holding public gathering on The Mall in the light of the judgment of the Lahore High Court.

The DCO office has issued two letters to PTI Lahore public meeting chief organiser Abdul Aleem Khan, informing him about security concerns and imposition of section 144 on The Mall.

While the DIC had requested that the PTI should change its venue for the public meeting, the committee in its second letter refused to give permission for the public meeting. The letter also warned, “And if your party decides to hold the Jalsa at Faisal Chowk, on The Mall, you will be solely responsible for any untoward incident. Furthermore, the law shall take its course, if the High Court’s orders are violated”.

Mian Aslam Iqbal said he had informed the DIC that the PTI had not sought any permission to hold the public meeting but asked the district administration to provide security cover to the PTI chairman and all other participants. The PTI committee members, who attended the meeting, were MPA Shoaib Siddiqui, Mehr Wajid, Jamshaid Iqbal Cheema and Zahir Abbas Khokhar.

Meanwhile, PTI chief organiser Abdul Aleem Khan said the party would not change its public meeting venue and added that the administration was showing stubbornness at the behest of the PML-N government. He said the PTI had completed all legal and procedural matters well in time and now it would not change the public meeting venue. Mr Khan also held meetings of all the party wings, restored by party chairman on Thursday, and took decisions for the organisation of the Sunday public meeting. He asked the party youth to show discipline and ensure best security and other arrangements.

Aleem Khan also constituted seven committees to look after the May 1 public meeting.

CDGL: The City District Administration said it would register cases against the PTI leaders if the party succeeds in holding the public meeting on The Mall.

“We will never allow the PTI to hold public meeting on the Mall Road as we are bound to follow the Lahore High Court orders that bar anyone from doing so,” DCO Muhammad Usman said.

PML-N’s Zaeem Qadri also warned the PTI of registration of cases and the PTI hit back by saying the party leaders and workers were not afraid of any action. A PTI leader alleged that the state machinery was being used to remove banners and other such stuff.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016