Lahore admin denies permission for PTI rally at Minar-e-Pakistan
1. PTI announced "Black Day" on Feb 8 to mark first anniversary of "rigged elections"
Lahore Administration Denies PTI's Request for Public Gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan
The Lahore city district administration rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request to hold a public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan on February 8, citing security concerns.
The deputy commissioner of Lahore denied the permit, stating the decision was made to maintain law and order. The refusal comes as PTI announced plans to mark February 8— the first anniversary of what it calls “rigged general elections”— as a “Black Day.”
In a statement, the Lahore DC explained that important events are scheduled in the city on February 8, including a cricket match, an international speaker conference, and a horse and cattle show. Due to these events, the DC said thousands of security personnel had already been deployed.
Earlier on Thursday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) instructed the deputy commissioner to decide by 5pm on PTI’s request for the rally, following a petition filed by PTI Punjab Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza on February 3.
The former ruling party, which had previously engaged in negotiations with the government, called for protest rallies against the 2024 elections, which they and other opposition parties claim were rigged and resulted in the alleged theft of PTI’s mandate.
PTI ended its negotiations after the government failed to form a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 riots and the November 2024 protests, as outlined in the party’s demands.
Dialogue between the PTI and the PML-N-led government began in late December following months of political tensions.
PTI also announced plans for a rally in Swabi on February 8. Junaid Akbar, PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President, warned of further agitation against the ruling coalition, emphasizing that the party's willingness to engage in dialogue with the government had been misinterpreted as weakness.
In recent months, PTI has organized several protests, with their power show in Islamabad last year leading to a crackdown on party workers and multiple legal cases against its leaders.
