LAHORE: The Punjab home department has apparently given a free hand to the PTI leaders and workers to attend party’s public gathering in Islamabad on Sunday (today), but the PTI leadership insists that police have been told to contain its workers within their respective districts.

The government on the other hand said the state machinery would respond if the PTI tried to incite violence in Punjab.

The home department did not impose Section 144 primarily in the wake of the Islamabad deputy commissioner’s permission granted to the PTI to hold a public gathering on the outskirts of the federal capital.

The PTI says the district police officers have been instructed to check every vehicle at the exit of each district and ensure that no one should go out of the district for the protest.

Punjab warns state machinery to act if party incites violence

Party’s Punjab spokesman Shaukat Basra said in a tweet that the Punjab police hierarchy had issued ‘unconstitutional’ orders to its formations across the province (to stop workers).

He said the police were interfering in political activities and the party would approach courts against such an order.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Basra said the party leadership had changed its strategy in the wake of police movement and asked its workers across the province to reach Islamabad individually. “Workers have been asked to avoid police action and reach Islam­abad individually,” Mr Basra said.

He said the Islamabad meeting would “shatter the Form-47 government” as the people of Punjab would show their massive presence at the venue. He also condemned the police ‘harassment’ of party workers through house raids at the “behest of fake Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.”

In a video message, Mr Basra urged the people across the country to come out and participate in the show because incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, senior leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Bushra Begum, Dr Yasmin Rashid and hundreds of other incarcerated leaders were facing atrocities for the better future of generations to come.

Azma Bokhari

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said if PTI fans chaos in the province, the state machinery will respond.

“The PTI has repeatedly been talking about holding rallies for the past one month. However, the PTI does not have the funds, people or the facilitators to organise such rallies,” she said in a statement here on Saturday.

Ms Bokhari said that rallies, protests, and sit-ins had become PTI’s business, and the ‘protest’ party has now turned into a “fitna party.” She said the PTI members spewed venom against the institutions through their statements and press conferences.

“The PTI is consumed with malice and prejudice against Maryam Nawaz. They even need to mention her name just to be in media headlines. She will hold the ‘Toshakhana thieves’ accountable and will also bring the criminals of the Katcha area to justice,” she said.

Azma Bokhari further stated that the agenda of the prisoner in Adiala was to lead the country toward a major disaster.

“Imran Khan is willing to go to any length to escape jail. If this party incites chaos, hatred or fuels arson in Punjab, the state machinery will respond. The public should keep their eyes open to recognise their true enemies,” she said.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2024