ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad district administration declined to grant permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a public rally on March 30 in Islamabad, citing security concerns. The rally was intended to address alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections, post-election result manipulations, and perceived deviations from the Constitution.
This decision was made before the expiration of a two-day deadline set by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the district administration to respond to PTI’s request. PTI had approached the court after claiming that their request for permission had gone unanswered by the capital’s administration.
Aamir Masood Mughal, the regional president of PTI, confirmed the district administration’s decision and announced that his party would once again seek recourse through the IHC. Mughal criticized the government, asserting that if they couldn’t ensure security in the capital, they had no right to govern.
PTI has alleged that the election results were manipulated in favor of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), accusing the incumbent rulers of stealing their electoral mandate.
In the midst of these political tensions, PTI is set to hold a press briefing on the implications of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package on Monday. This decision was made during a PTI core committee meeting held on March 22. Pakistan’s $3 billion standby arrangement with the IMF is set to expire on April 11, and a staff-level agreement was reached earlier this week for the disbursement of the final tranche of $1.1 billion.
The refusal to grant permission for the rally underscores the ongoing political friction in Pakistan and the challenges facing the government amid economic uncertainties and allegations of electoral malpractice.
