After the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called off its Islamabad rally scheduled for today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur distributed Rs 5,000 each among party workers and supporters who had come to attend the much-anticipated public gathering.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, accompanied by PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, personally distributed the cash among the party supporters and activists.
When asked about the cash distribution, Barrister Saif responded that there was no specific reason behind the gesture. He explained that the chief minister is a well-wisher of the poor and that he distributed the money from his own pocket.
Imran Khan, the jailed founder of PTI, had directed party leaders to hold a power show in the federal capital on August 22, according to the Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif.
Addressing a press conference on August 18, Saif stated, “We guarantee that there will be no law and order issue.”
However, the district administration later revoked the no-objection certificate (NOC) granted to the party based on a report from the district intelligence committee, as per an official statement.
Despite the revocation of the NOC, PTI initially decided to go ahead with the public gathering in the Tarnol area of Islamabad. Due to security concerns, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration blocked roads at various entry points of the city using shipping containers to prevent the rally.
As party activists began gathering in Swabi earlier today, the opposition party ultimately canceled the much-hyped event. The workers were then given Rs 5,000 each as they dispersed.
Sources indicated that Gandapur was determined to hold the public gathering at all costs, and he, along with former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, had resolved to reach Islamabad regardless of the obstacles.
However, the Islamabad administration has now issued a permit for the party to stage a rally on September 8, with a notification being issued by the district magistrate of Islamabad for the purpose.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
