PTI announces Rawalpindi rally on April 9, warns of legal action if denied permission

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announced on Monday that it will hold a public rally at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on April 9 and said it would move the courts if authorities refuse permission for the gathering.

The date of the planned rally coincides with the anniversary of the 2022 no-confidence vote that removed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan from office. Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023 following convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other party leaders, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Junaid Akbar said the party would stage the rally on April 9 and stressed that peaceful protest was its constitutional and political right.

He said the party would protest wherever necessary if it was stopped from holding the event.

Addressing the same press conference, the KP chief minister said PTI workers were a political force and not an armed mob. He alleged that the PML-N-led federal government’s only objective was to silence the PTI founder.

Afridi urged the government to issue a non-objection certificate for the Rawalpindi rally and said the party would make all arrangements for the political gathering on its own.

He also criticised the federal government over the state of the economy, saying that 45% of the population was living below the poverty line.

Opposition meeting discusses strategy

The press conference came shortly after opposition leaders met in the chamber of the opposition leader in the National Assembly.

The meeting discussed Senate candidates as well as a broader protest strategy. Those present included PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Nasir Abbas and National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai.

After the meeting, Barrister Gohar said PTI would approach the courts if permission for the Rawalpindi rally was not granted.

In an informal conversation with reporters at Parliament House, he said the purpose of the rally was to demonstrate the party’s commitment to peace.

The party’s announcement signals its intention to mark April 9 with a political show in Rawalpindi while also pressing its demand for official clearance for the event. PTI leaders said they wanted to hold the gathering peacefully, but also made clear they would challenge any refusal through legal means and continue protests if blocked.