PTI eyes one last rave at D-Chowk before govt shuts it down

PTI says it will hold its Foundation Day gathering at D-Chowk, as city administration says that won’t happen

As the Qadri protesters packed up and left the D-Chowk after ‘an understanding’ was reached with the government, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced that in future no one will be allowed to hold protest inside Red Zone, which will be permanently blocked with steel bars.

That was only one week ago.

The government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have once again locked horns over the latter’s announcement of holding a public gathering at D-Chowk on April 24.

While the PTI has announced to hold a public gathering at D-Chowk on April 24, the government is categorically denying permission for holding any such public meeting in the heavily-guarded Red Zone.

PTI Additional Secretary Information Faisal Javed on Wednesday said the PTI would hold a historical public meeting at D-Chowk despite a ban on public meetings in the highly sensitive Red Zone.

The party, however, is not labeling its public gathering as a ‘protest’.

Javed said the PTI has decided to celebrate its 20th Foundation Day on April 24 at D-Chowk.

The party is yet to seek formal permission from the Islamabad administration; however, Faisal said the party will soon seek the permission and will then hold a historical public gathering at D-Chowk.

Faisal said the party’s supporters from across the country will be invited to participate in the public gathering.

However, Islamabad district administration has categorically denied giving permission for any such public gatherings to any political party at the well-guarded Red-Zone.

Sources said the authority has yet to be approached formally by the PTI for permission to hold a public gathering. However, the local administration had already said that no one would be allowed to hold public meetings at D-chowk.

Moreover, they said that construction work is underway at D-Chowk so there is no place to accommodate a large crowd there anyway.

Nisar had said during a press conference on March 30 that rallies in the Red Zone and D-Chowk in general will be banned completely.

“The matter of holding public rallies in the Red Zone will also be taken up before the Parliament… There will be a complete ban on holding rallies at D-Chowk until the federal cabinet comes to a decision in this regard,” he added.

Soon after the announcement, construction work was started at the Red Zone and the area has been completely sealed.