n Party’s political committee says decision taken after govt’s ‘insufficient’ plans for I-Day celebrations n TLP plans to protest at Faizabad Interchange also on Aug 13.

ISLAMABAD    -   Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to change the venue of its forthcoming August 13 power show from Islamabad’s Parade Ground to the Hockey Stadium in Lahore amid the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s announcement of holding a public meeting the same day at the Faizabad Interchange.

The decision was taken in the meeting of PTI’s political committee chaired by Chairman Imran Khan on Monday. The political party will hold its power show in Lahore instead of Islamabad. The venue of the August 13 rally will be Lahore’s Hockey Stadium, according to the decision taken by PTI’s top leadership.

“The decision was taken by chairman Imran Khan in a meeting today,” said party’s focal person Azhar Mashwani in a statement, elaborating that the development comes after the party learnt about the federal government’s “insufficient” plans for celebrations on the Independence Day.

He said that the proud Pakistanis of Lahore will celebrate the 75th Independence Day in a grand manner at Hockey Stadium Lahore. While on the other hand, the Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has announced to hold its rally on August 13 at Faizabad Interchange, very close to the Parade Ground where the PTI had earlier planned to hold a public rally the same day.

He explained that the PTI had been given permission for the rally at Islamabad’s Parade Ground. “But at the last moment we found out that the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan wanted to hold a protest there and it could have created problems.

“Hence, we came to the conclusion that Lahore is the best location for the rally,” he said, adding that the ground was spacious and could fit all of Imran’s supporters.

According to him, the party will organise the 75th Independence Day celebrations in Lahore.

Imran Khan assigned important tasks to the party leaders during the political committee meeting. He has directed the PTI leaders to take maximum steps to make the upcoming rally successful. The PTI chairman also gave the task to the Lahore organisations and asked them to start preparations for the Independence Day celebrations, said the party. Khan asked the Lahore leadership to run a door-to-door mass-contact campaign ahead of the public gathering as well.

PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan and Ali Nawaz Awan told the media after the meeting that Imran Khan has decided to hold a public gathering in Lahore on August 13. Earlier in the day, a PTI delegation visited the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and Liaquat Bagh to choose the venue but later decided otherwise. Earlier, it was decided to organise the rally in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium but the making of new pitches by the cricket board would affect the rally, said Omar Ayub Khan. He said that the officials of the English Cricket Board are also expected to visit the stadium.

“Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is also holding a public meeting on August 13. PTI will hold its public gathering like a festival on the Independence Day,” said Ali Nawaz Awan.

It is pertinent to mention here that PTI had decided to hold a public gathering in Islamabad on August 13, a day after the party gave a one-month deadline to the federal government to hold general elections in the country. The PTI is trying to up the ante against the incumbent government, demanding them to hold early elections in the country.

Meanwhile, TLP called on its workers to gather at Faizabad on August 13 — as the party plans to organise the Nazriya-e-Pakistan March and Conference.

TLP’s Information Secretary Muhammad Amjad Rizvi, in a statement, said that the party sought permission to organise a public gathering at Parade Ground in Islamabad, but did not get approval.

Rizvi complained that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had allowed PTI to hold a public gathering at the venue, but denied approval to his party.

“Are we from India?” the party’s information secretary questioned, protesting that the party is registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan, and if Imran Khan is allowed to hold a jalsa, then why not TLP.

Rizvi said that the party will now gather workers in Faizabad on August 13 to mark the Nazriya-e-Pakistan March and Conference.

He added that the schedule of the party’s program would not change, and during the gathering, TLP chief Saad Rizvi would be given warm welcome.