Staff Report
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday changed the venue of its Saturday rally from Faizabad to Sixth Road.
The rally organisers started shifting tents, chairs and other paraphernalia from Faizabad, where a stage had been erected, to Sixth Road after the local administration asked them to move to the new and spacious venue.
Now, the PTI will set the stage on Sith Road flyover.
Earlier notification
Earlier, the Rawalpindi district administration conditionally allowed the PTI to hold a public rally in Faizabad and the party had erected a stage.
A notification issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner asked the organisers of the public rally to wrap up the gathering the same day after the party leadership including party chief Imran Khan addressed it.
“Since, Imran Khan, the PTI Chairman and the leadership of PTI will also participate in the said programme, the proposed site is an open place and poses serious security threat due to present prevailing hazardous security environment and terrorist threats/incidents in country,” said the notification.
“As per recent threat alerts to the PTI leadership, the organisers of the public gathering shall take extreme precautionary measures as well as necessary security arrangements in addition to the arrangements made by local police especially during the address of Imran Khan to avert any untoward incident,” it said.
It said that the organisers will ensure that the PTI chairman follows the prescribed route to enter and leave the venue. It said that Imran Khan would not use the vehicle’s sunroof during and after his address to the public gathering.
The notification said that the organisers will ensure that the participants will vacate the venue after the rally and Imran Khan’s address. Afterward, the Allama Iqbal Park will not be used for any further stay at night.
It said that display of firearms shall strictly be prohibited and fireworks shall not be carried out during the gathering and public rally.
No speech against constitutional offices /armed forces and judiciary is allowed and no effigy of any religious or any other person belonging to any country shall be burnt.
Volunteers and police personnel will ensure the security of the rally and container of the PTI leadership.
All people will be frisked before they are allowed to enter the rally venue.
ICT admin conditionally allows rally
On the other hand, the Islamabad district administration has allowed conditional permission to the PTI to use the capital’s routes for the Rawalpindi rally, but refused to allow the helicopter of Imran Khan to land at the Parade Ground.
The Islamabad district administration said that the Parade Ground is very sensitive and has no helipad.
It said that rallies will be allowed to reach Rawalpindi from a specific route with 36 conditions and regulations. In a notification issued by the Islamabad district administration, it has been said that an affidavit based on the conditions signed by the party chairman should be submitted to the deputy commissioner office by tomorrow. The notification stated that the permit would be considered canceled in case of non-submission of affidavit.
