On Sunday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a significant rally in Islamabad’s Sangjani locality, calling for the immediate release of their incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. The event, marked by tight security, saw participants from various areas, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, despite roadblocks.
The rally, initially postponed due to previous permission revocations, finally proceeded under a no-objection certificate (NOC) granted from 4 pm to 7 pm. However, the gathering exceeded this timeframe, clashing with the police after the designated end time.
A PTI leader, Hammad Azhar, addressed the crowd, criticizing the current rulers for their fear of Imran Khan’s influence. He announced the expansion of their movement to Punjab, signalling a major upcoming push involving 50,000 participants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Islamabad district administration, citing the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, had heightened security and restricted access to the city. Despite these measures, the rally continued past its deadline, prompting police action to disperse the exceeding crowd. This enforcement led to conflicts where PTI workers and police exchanged hostilities, resulting in injuries.
Muhammad Ali Khan, another PTI leader, called for restoring constitutional supremacy and warned that the current government would be overwhelmed by public support for the PTI if they continued to detain Imran Khan.
Despite the passed deadline, the rally concluded with ongoing speeches, highlighting the tense situation between PTI supporters and law enforcement.
