Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday announced plans to hold a public rally at Liaquat Bagh on April 9, warning that it would approach the courts if authorities refuse permission for the gathering.
The date marks the anniversary of the 2022 no-confidence vote that removed the party’s founder, Imran Khan, from the office of prime minister. Khan has been in jail since August 2023 following convictions that he and the party say are politically motivated.
Party Leaders Announce Rally
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PTI leaders said the rally would go ahead as part of the party’s constitutional right to peaceful protest.
Junaid Akbar, PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, said the party would organise the gathering on April 9 and warned that demonstrations could be held elsewhere if the rally was blocked.
Also addressing the media, Sohail Afridi, chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said PTI workers were a political movement rather than an “armed mob”. He accused the ruling coalition led by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) of trying to silence the party’s founder.
Afridi urged the federal government to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the event, adding that the party would take full responsibility for managing the arrangements.
Opposition Meeting and Legal Warning
The announcement followed a meeting of opposition leaders in the chamber of the opposition leader at the Parliament House.
According to sources, discussions during the meeting focused on Senate candidates and the opposition’s broader protest strategy. Participants included PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Senate opposition leader Allama Nasir Abbas, and National Assembly opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
After the meeting, Barrister Gohar told reporters that the party would seek legal recourse if authorities denied permission for the rally.
Speaking informally with journalists at Parliament House, he said the planned gathering was intended to demonstrate the party’s commitment to peaceful political activity.