Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former premier Imran Khan called off his election rally in Lahore after the Punjab caretaker government imposed Section 144 in the provincial capital.
\nTaking to Twitter, the PTI chief said: \u201cIt seems again that Section 144 has been imposed illegally solely on the PTI election campaign as all other public activities are ongoing in Lahore.\u201d
\n\u201cOnly Zaman Park has been surrounded by containers & heavy police contingent. Clearly, like 8 March, Punjab CM and police want to provoke clashes to file more sham FIRs against PTI leadership and workers and to use as pretext for postponing elections,\u201d said the former prime minister.
\n\u201cElection schedule has been announced so how can Sec 144 be imposed on pol activity? I AM TELLING ALL PTI WORKERS NOT TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP. Hence we have postponed the rally till tomorrow,\u201d Imran Khan added.<\/p>\n
to file more sham FIRs against PTI ldrshp & workers & to use as pretext for postponing elections. Elec Schedule has been announced so how can Sec 144 be imposed on pol activity? I AM TELLING ALL PTI WORKERS NOT TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP. Hence we have postponed rally till tomorrow.
\n\u2014 Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 12, 2023
\nThe decision came after PTI challenged the Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government in Lahore in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
\nPTI leader Babar Awan filed the plea in the ECP on the instructions of party Chairman Imran Khan.
\nThe Punjab government Saturday night again announced imposing Section 144 (banning of large gatherings) in Lahore to avoid any “untoward incidents”.
\nThis is the second time in less than a week that the interim government has imposed the restriction ahead of the election rally of the party \u2014 which has severely criticised the caretaker set-up for being “partial”.
\n“The ECP should dispose of the implementation of Section 144 as it is illegal,” said the petition.
\nIt said that by imposing Section 144, the Punjab government is violating Para 15 of the Supreme Court’s order. The petition also stated that the routes of the rally and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) match are different.
\nThe election campaign is PTI’s constitutional right and the provincial government is stopping the campaign illegally, said the petition.
\nAwan, while speaking to the media persons later, reiterated that the timings and routes of the match and rally are different.
\n“Imposing Section 144 on the entire city is not justifiable and the interim government decided to put a ban using PSL as an excuse,” he said.
\nHe added that Khan wants to stage a rally as it is the party’s constitutional right.
\nPTI leader Yasmin Rashid has also submitted a request against the provincial government’s decision to ban rallies in ECP’s office in Lahore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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