Lahore Police seize stage after turning off microphone, lights.  WhatsApp, Instagram users report outages.  KP CM reached venue but failed to address rally.  Ali Amin Gandapur hits out at provincial govt for blocking roads and disrupting rally.  Gohar Ali Khan vows to continue struggle for democracy, independent judiciary.  Salman Akram Raja says a puppet regime is installed in country by stealing PTI’s mandate.  Latif Khosa rejects recent reshuffle within Supreme Court.

LAHORE  -  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest rally in Lahore’s Kahna area abruptly ended on Saturday evening as authorities cut the electricity supply shortly after the 6:00pm deadline. The participants of the rally started leaving the venue, located on the outskirts of the provincial metropolis, as police seized the stage soon after the deadline.

As the deadline ended, Lahore Police took control of the stage and turned off the microphone and lights, forcing PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other party leaders to leave. Except for Gohar, Sardar Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, the first-tier leadership failed to address the rally participants.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also failed to address the rally, though he reached the venue very late.

KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur addressed PTI workers on Lahore’s Ring Road and claimed to fulfilling his promises despite the roadblocks and obstacles. He also announced his determination to secure the release of PTI founder. He criticised the provincial administration, calling their actions to block roads and disrupt the rally foolish, and praised the resilience of the PTI supporters who managed to participate in the rally despite the hurdles. “The people’s full participation in the rally shows their confidence in us,” Gandapur said.

In a video message after the rally, he thanked the people of Lahore and KP for their strong turnout and expressed gratitude for their support. Gandapur vowed to address ‘serious issues’ in future speeches and reiterated that PTI will not accept the government of Form 47 or allow unconstitutional amendments to proceed. He made it clear that the party would stand firm against illegal actions and support the judiciary in upholding justice, vowing to continue the fight as long as necessary.

Thousands of PTI supporters arrived in Lahore from different parts of the country to attend the rally, calling for immediate release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. The provincial government had directed the organisers to abide by the law and end the gathering by 6pm as agreed.

After days of uncertainty, the Lahore administration on Friday evening allowed PTI to hold the rally from 3:00 to 6:00pm in the Kahna area of the city, subject to compliance with 43 conditions, including that supporters would not cause unrest or chant anti-state slogans.

Television footage showed caravans of PTI supporters arriving in Lahore from various cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere in Punjab to attend the rally with long queues of vehicles forming on sections of the Islamabad-Lahore motorway reportedly due to road closures. Most of Lahore remained open for traffic but access to a main thoroughfare, the Ring Road, leading to the venue, was blocked at a few locations as preparations were ongoing for Saturday’s rally.

WhatsApp and Instagram users in the country reported outages on Saturday, while interruptions in internet services provided by Zong and PTCL were also reported.

Instagram users reported a maximum of 86 outages in one hour, with WhatsApp users reporting problems since 10:45am, particularly with sending voice notes, Downdetector said, adding that network providers Zong and PTCL have also reported outages since this morning.

In his address to rally participants, PTI Chairman Barrister Ghohar Ali Khan criticised the Punjab government for obstructing the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) for a peaceful public rally.

He said that PTI would accept nothing less than “true democracy” and vowed to continue the struggle for democratic governance and an independent judiciary. Gohar urged those in power to heed the demands of the people, who, he said, were calling for genuine democracy and judicial independence.

PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja echoed these sentiments, calling on supporters to show courage and resist oppression. He accused that a “puppet” regime is installed in the country by stealing the PTI’s mandate in the February 8 elections. He condemned the recent attempt of constitutional amendments, which he claimed were intended to undermine the judiciary and ban PTI. Raja specifically criticised the amendments for attempting to manipulate the Supreme Court of Pakistan and vowed not to recognise Justice Qazi Faez Isa as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Raja further alleged that the government was seeking to establish a parallel constitutional court under Justice Isa through the proposed amendments. He warned that despite the government’s efforts, they had failed to convict former prime minister Imran Khan through legitimate means and were now resorting to “military courts.” He declared this a “red line” for PTI and the people of Pakistan, affirming that the party would continue its struggle for Khan’s release.

Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, accused the provincial government of creating hurdles to prevent workers from attending the rally, claiming that Punjab Police conducted raids to arrest and harass PTI members. He emphasised that the majority of attendees were from Lahore and expressed the party’s unwavering support for Imran Khan and their rights.

PTI senior leader Sardar Latif Khosa also lambasted the government for attempting to amend the constitution to impose Justice Qazi Faez Isa as Chief Justice. He rejected recent reshuffle within the Supreme Court, describing it as part of a government strategy to stack the judiciary with favorable benches. Khosa warned that such actions could have serious consequences, referencing the political turmoil that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh.

The rally saw speeches from other prominent PTI figures, including Sheikh Waqas Akram, Shoaib Shaheen, Umar Dar, and Aoun Abbas Bappi. Snippets of Imran Khan’s previous speeches were played, and attendees chanted slogans demanding his release.

Ahead of the event, PTI supporters alleged that police had confiscated their lights, generators, and speakers, and hindered their access to the rally site. Local PTI leaders, legislators, and ticket holders led their groups to the venue, marking a significant political gathering in Lahore since the arrest of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan.

Former federal minister Hammad Azhar also emerged from hiding to lead his supporters to the rally, while Qaisara Elahi, the wife of PTI President and former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhary Pervez Elahi, led a convoy to Kahna.

Although the motorway between Lahore and Islamabad remained open, barbed wire and police checkpoints were observed along several routes leading to the rally site. Police instructed participants not to park on the Ring Road, deploying forklifts and cranes to remove any vehicles in violation of these orders. Containers were also placed at multiple points along Ferozepur Road and other key access routes.

However, a police spokesperson denied reports of road blockages, stating that footage from the Safe City monitoring system showed no obstructions. He assured that traffic was flowing normally and clarified that no containers had been installed at Shahdara Chowk.

Additionally, PTI leaders voiced concerns over police crackdowns in Lahore. Provincial Assembly member Fazal Elahi declared that no force could stop them from reaching Lahore, stating, “The bridegroom is coming, be prepared.”

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Adviser Barrister Saif condemned the recent police actions, accusing the government of arresting 20 PTI workers for holding a corner meeting.

He warned that Maryam Nawaz would be held responsible for her fascist tactics and urged the government to respect PTI’s right to peaceful assembly, calling for adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure a peaceful environment. Meanwhile, reports indicated that government resources, including cranes, ambulances, fire brigades, and other machinery, had been directed to support PTI’s activities, sparking criticism over the misuse of public funds for a political event.

Meanwhile, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza on Saturday ordered action against those violating NOC according to the law in PTI meeting at Kahna area of the city.

In a press statement, the deputy commissioner said that the meeting organisers should have followed the closing hours. The time to finish the meeting was negotiated at six o’clock. The time to end the meeting could not be followed according to the NOC. In this connection, the DC directed to take action according to law for violating the NOC.

It should be noted that the district administration of Lahore had given conditional permission to the PTI to hold a rally from 3pm to 6pm.