ISLAMABAD: The open area near Parade Ground, called Democracy Park and Speech Corner, will host its first political gathering on Wednesday, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will stage a protest against the incumbent government over the Panama Papers leaks.

After the Supreme Court directed the respondents of a case it was hearing, including the PTI and the government, to submit their terms of reference on the formation of a commission for probing the Panama Papers leaks, PTI chief Imran Khan cancelled the lockdown of Islamabad on Nov 2.

It was decided to hold a “thanksgiving” rally instead on the same date, but at the location designated for public gatherings near Parade Ground.

In the past, the historical Liaquat Bagh would host massive public gatherings but with time and subsequent constructions, its capacity has been reduced to accommodate just 30,000 people.

Filling the large space with supporters may be a challenge for the PTI, which is holding a ‘thanksgiving’ rally today

Democracy Park and Speech Corner is larger and it may be a challenge for the PTI to fill the large space with supporters as it stretches between Faizabad and Shakarparian Bridge and is the largest space yet for staging public gatherings in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

“Imran Khan can bring as many people as he wants, filling the large space will be a challenge for the PTI,” said an office of the district government, who was inspecting the site.

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has allowed the PTI to hold a gathering at the same location where the Pakistan Army held their parade on March 23.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdul Sattar Ahsani and Magistrate Kamran Cheema visited the location Wednesday evening, held discussions with PTI organisers and told them that the government does not have a problem with allowing the party to use it for a public gathering.

“Just give us an application and we will approve it,” Mr Ahsani told the PTI organisers.

It was decided that PTI will restrict its worker to the open area, facing the Margalla Hills and on the right of the Islamabad Highway, left of the double road. No party workers will go towards Parade Ground and it is the PTI’s responsibility to confine its workers to the designated area.

The ICT officers and the PTI organising team headed by MPA Shoaib Malik discussed the placing of containers on the road in front of Parade Ground to avoid workers using it, which will be arranged for by the PTI. Till the filing of this report, an agreement had not been reached regarding the containers.

“How can we bring the containers when the government has confiscated them,” asked MPA Malik.

Talking to Dawn, PTI MPA Shoaib Siddiqui said the party will be able to fill the ground with workers.

“The PTI staged a massive and historical gathering in front of the Minar-e-Pakistan in October 2011 and we held a massive gathering at Raiwind. Because we are the real opposition party, filling the ground with supporters will not be a problem,” he said, adding that a million people are expected to attend the gathering from the twin cities, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

History of Democracy Park and Speech Corner

According to Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials, the original master plan of the city had included a dedicated exhibition area near Tarlai Kalan Village on Lehtrar Road. In an amendment to the master plan in 1975, the exhibition area was moved to Parade Ground. The area was marked for hosting trade exhibitions and other public activities.

During the Musharraf era, it was decided to construct a parade ground on the site and after it was finished last year, the CDA handed over the ground to the army for the parade held every year on March 23. The parades of 2015 and 2016 were held in this ground.

On November 5 last year, the CDA designated a ground to the left of the double road and near Parade Ground for holding public gatherings at and named it Democracy Park and Speech Corner.

After issuing a letter in this regard, the CDA did not develop the site properly and there is no mark for it to be identified as Democracy Park.

The CDA notification reads: “The area measuring 700m x 350m [bound] by Islamabad Highway [to] the west, Murree Road [to] the south and Garden Avenue [to the] north, located in the Sports Complex area Islamabad is designated as Democracy Park and Speech Corner.”

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2016