LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a triumphant return to Lahore, marking his presence with a massive rally that saw participation from all corners of the country.
Departing from Lahore Airport via helicopter, Nawaz Sharif was headed to the rally site. A helipad, set up near the Shahi Qilla at Diwan Khas, awaited his arrival. After landing, he took a moment for prayer.
Hamza Shahbaz accompanied Nawaz Sharif to the rally by car. On reaching the stage, Nawaz Sharif warmly greeted his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, and acknowledged other leaders. An emotional moment was witnessed when the former Prime Minister and his daughter, Maryam, shared a heartfelt embrace, both visibly emotional.
Before the rally’s commencement, attendees honored the national anthem, followed by a Holy Quran recitation.
The Minar-e-Pakistan Grounds featured two stages. Nawaz Sharif addressed the audience from the primary stage near the Minar platform, while the MSF set up a secondary stage near the main entrance.
Delegates from every province, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, gathered at the Jalsa site. Local leadership from all these areas, flanked by their local representatives, marked their presence.
From dawn, groups of workers started gathering, their numbers peaking by afternoon. Many had arrived at Minar-e-Pakistan the day before, notably from Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.
To host these workers, tents were set up in Greater Iqbal Park, equipped with amenities for their stay. Each tent bore the name of its respective district, sorted by provinces and divisions. The majority of tents hailed from Faisalabad and Gujranwala. By daybreak, these tents were removed to enlarge the rally area.
Beside these tents, the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) established a convention and preparation zone. Biryani was available for workers and as usual many workers took more than one biryani box.
By midday, the rally grounds were alive with energy. Food deliveries started around 3 pm. intriguingly, party insiders mentioned that the meals weren’t funded by PML-N. Instead, local leaders, including UC chairmen and MNAs, took responsibility. There was no specific dining area, but food was distributed continuously.
With Nawaz Sharif’s arrival, security measures in Lahore intensified. According to police sources, 10,000 officers were deployed to ensure security from the airport to Minar-e-Pakistan. Additionally, over three thousand traffic wardens were assigned to manage traffic and provide alternate routes.
Parking was arranged near Band Road, Lari Adda, and Ring Road. The rally and its surroundings were under CCTV surveillance, with security checkpoints from Lahore Airport to the rally site. Uniformed police patrolled various areas, and the entire event was monitored via Safe City cameras.
According to PML-N, there were claims that ‘one million’ people had gathered in Greater Iqbal Park. However, a senior official from the law enforcement agency detailed the various techniques they employ to estimate the number of attendees at an event.
“One approach involves measuring the length and width of the designated event area and converting this into square meters,” he said. He further elaborated, “A general rule of thumb is that one square meter can accommodate three individuals. So, for an area spanning one thousand square meters, it can hold up to 30,000 attendees.”
He mentioned that one of the initial steps taken by law enforcement teams is to count the number of chairs at the venue. This count provides a preliminary estimate of the expected turnout. Based on this, security measures are put in place. Another step involves a discreet measurement of the event space, which is then converted into square meters.
The senior security officer added, “An alternative method involves tallying entries at walk-through gates. Officers stationed at these points keep a count, and the total is later aggregated to provide an estimate.”
Another official highlighted the role of technology, “Modern software solutions are now available that can capture images of the crowd and process them to identify faces, subsequently providing an estimated count.” He also pointed out a novel approach, “This technology can also gauge the number of mobile phones connecting to nearby cell towers during the event, offering another method for crowd estimation.”
Yet, political factions often boast about their ability to pack the Minar-e-Pakistan ground or the Greater Iqbal Park during their political power show. This, however, might be an inflated claim. According to the administrative body of Greater Iqbal Park, the portion of the Minar-e-Pakistan ground allocated for political assemblies spans approximately 15 acres.
After setting aside space for VVIP parking and stage surroundings, a mere 11 to 12 acres remain accessible for the crowd. Employing the aforementioned estimation techniques, this space can feasibly host up to 150,000 attendees.
