LAHORE: A PTI local leader who is an aspirant for the National Assembly seat has been granted permission to hold a corner meeting at Kahna Nau while the district administration has not allowed the party’s central Punjab wing to hold a public meeting so far.

Afzaal Azeem Pahat advocate, the senior vice-president of PTI central Punjab and an aspirant for NA-123, had submitted an application with the DC office to seek permission for a public/corner meeting in his constituency, Kahna Nau, on Oct 22.

In his application, Pahat stated that his opponent, former prime minister and PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif, was holding public meetings on a regular basis with complete government support and protocol.

He added that Mr Sharif’s pictures had even been pasted on traffic direction boards besides banners and flexes that were causing accidents in the area. He demanded removal of election campaign posters, banners and flexes from the traffic direction boards.

Meanwhile, the DC office has referred application to the DIG (Operations) and the chief traffic officer, Lahore, to take necessary action as per law/policy of the government under intimation to the DC office.

PTI additional general secretary advocate Sardar Azeemullah said the party had started preparations for the corner meeting on Oct 22.

A PTI spokesman said the Punjab government was discriminating against the largest political party and terrorised its workers to the extent that no one was allowed to walk carrying the party flag for 10 meters. On the other hand, he said, the PML-N was doing campaign in every nook and corner of the city

The Lahore district administration has yet not decided on granting or denying permission to the PTI central Punjab application despite the Lahore High Court orders. The PTI had suggested six venues to the district administration but all in vain.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2023