PTI's Power Struggle: Rally Amidst Crackdown

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan's party managed to hold a massive rally despite police intervention after a 6 pm deadline in Lahore. The rally was initially planned at Minar-e-Pakistan but ended up in a cattle market. The event was marked by AI-generated speeches and resistance against the government.

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party successfully held a significant rally in Lahore, even as police intervened after a 6 pm deadline by switching off lights and the mic system. Initially planned at Lahore's historic Minar-e-Pakistan, the event was relocated to a cattle market on the city's outskirts due to a lack of permission from the Maryam Nawaz-led Punjab government.

Khan's supporters began gathering early in the morning, amid reports that police would seal off all access points by the afternoon. By 3 pm, the police had closed all routes to the venue, and by 6 pm, they took control of the stage, switching off lights and the mic system, prompting protests from the PTI leadership and attendees.

This marked the first PTI rally permitted after the controversial May 9, 2023 incidents, where supporters allegedly attacked military installations following Khan's arrest. The rally featured an AI-generated speech from Khan, wherein he denounced the current government and urged participants to resist and protect the Constitution. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed the rally as a 'flop show' and denied any roadblocks had been enforced.

(With inputs from agencies.)