Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held its workers’ convention on road after the Imperial Marquee Hall was sealed by Pakistan Muslim League-N workers on Sunday. PTI had planned to hold its workers’ convention at Imperial Marquee in Township which also falls under the PP-154, constituency of PML-N leader Zaeem Hussain Qadri. The event was being hosted by a local PTI leader Naeem-ul-Haq. PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mahmood and other senior leaders were scheduled to address the convention. It was around 2am in the night when the convention site became a tug of war between PTI and PML-N workers after a number of PML-N workers attacked the venue and forcibly sealed the hall. According to eyewitnesses, the situation became worst when workers from both sides pelted stones on each other. After sealing the hall, PML-N workers supplanted all the PTI flags, banners, flexes and decorations made for the event. Later, the convention was held outside the hall on the road which was attended by Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, Shafqat Mahmood, Ejaz Chaudhary, Waleed Iqbal and other local leaders. Addressing the participants, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed accused the PML-N leadership of sabotaging the event. He said that the PML-N leadership was scared of PTI’s popularity that’s why they were adopting such criminal tactics. Talking to Pakistan Today, PTI Lahore President (Urban) Waleed Iqbal said that it was late night when PTI workers informed him about the attack of PML-N workers at the event site and sealing of the venue. “Workers informed me that owner of the marquee has also announced not to give permission to PTI to organize any event”, he said and added that on inquiring the owner of the marquee, he informed that PML-N workers had warned him to set ablaze the marquee if it would be given to PTI workers. Waleed informed that the convention was scheduled on last Sunday (March 5) but it was postponed for a week due to PSL final in Lahore. He said that host had fulfilled all the formalities including the permission from city district government and the police. “This was very hard to postpone the convention despite after the threats of PML-N workers as hundreds of invitations have been issued to PTI leadership and others”, he said and added further that, however, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was requested at the eleventh hour not to come to the event. Waleed accused that PML-N workers attacked the convention on the directions of Zaeem Hussain Qadri. When contacted Zaeem Hussain Qadri, he was not available for comments as his mobile was switched off.
