LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, Shehbaz Sharif called, Friday late night PML’s workers and supporters to end all the rallies in Lahore.
The former chief minister of Punjab told media, that he has ordered the party workers and supporters to return to their homes and that the people would now announce their “verdict on July 25.”
Earlier, the rallies, of PML-N workers and supporters, had attempted to make its way to Allama Iqbal International Airport to welcome their leader, Nawaz Sharif, who arrived in the city that night.
Both, Nawaz and his daughter Maryam have been arrested by authorities immediately upon their arrival, and sent to a jail in Islamabad.
The three-time prime minister and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, were returning from London to face lengthy prison sentences, a week after an accountability court convicted them of “owning assets beyond their means” as part of a corruption case linked to property deals in London.
The province’s caretaker home minister on Friday announced that Section 144 had been imposed in the city and no political rallies could take place. Minister Shaukat Javed warned PML-N workers not to take the law into their own hands.
The city administration made special arrangements to keep PML-N workers away from the airport, including blocking with shipping containers all roads that lead there. Roads in and out of Lahore city were similarly blocked, making it nearly impossible for any vehicle to enter.
Metro and Speedo bus services were suspended in the city, along with cellphone and Internet services. Markets in Lahore were shuttered down and not a single shopping center was open after 2pm. There was little traffic on the roads, and people mostly seemed to be staying at home.
Police had carried out raids at the homes of PML-N leaders and workers during the previous two days, arresting them and moving them to police stations.
On Friday, heavy police contingents were deployed in a number of neighborhoods, and the airport was handed over to the Rangers “to avoid any security situation.”
Several PML-N leaders, including former federal railways minister Saad Rafique, his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique, Mian Marghoob, Bilal Yasin, Khwaja Imran Nazir, Malik Saiful Maluk and Waheed Alam Khan, have been put behind bars for one month under the Pakistan Public Ordinance.
Shehbaz Sharif ends Lahore rallies, says people’s verdict is on 25 July
Shehbaz Sharif ends Lahore rallies, says people’s verdict is on 25 July
- Section 144 imposed in Lahore, political rallies declared illegal
- All roads leading to the airport closed
Imran Khan's sons fear for his health, seek visas to visit him in Pakistan
- Pakistani authorities say medical procedures are under way and reject opposition claims of neglect
- Khan's sons say he should be moved to a proper medical facility and have access to private doctors
LONDON: Imran Khan's sons say they fear for their father's deteriorating health in a Pakistani jail and are seeking permission to visit the former prime minister, urging authorities to grant access after more than two years apart.
Khan's lawyer told Pakistan's Supreme Court last week that the ex-cricketer had lost significant vision in his right eye while in custody. A medical board said on Monday the swelling had reduced after treatment and his vision had improved.
Speaking to Reuters in London, where they are based, Khan's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, 26 and 29, said they were uncertain about the medical report. They spoke to their father on Thursday for the first time since September.
They said their father usually avoids discussing his health, but during the call he expressed frustration, saying he had been denied treatment for his eye for a few months.
"It's hard not to feel low at times because we've been away from him so long," Kasim said of his father, whom he and his brother call 'Abba', adding that he should be moved to a proper medical facility and have access to his private doctors.
Authorities say medical procedures are under way and reject opposition claims of neglect. The Supreme Court has sought details of his treatment.
JAILED SINCE AUGUST 2023
Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after convictions he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party call politically motivated.
Since his 2022 ouster in a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including over state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.
Kasim and Sulaiman were raised in Britain after Khan's divorce from their mother, British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith. They have not seen their father since November 2022 after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for visas last month but have yet to receive a response.
"Maybe the establishment is worried that if we go and see him it would create more noise, and just more attention to his situation," Sulaiman said, when asked why there could be a delay.
The Pakistani embassy in London and Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kasim said their immediate concern was his health, but there were other pressing issues, including "his freedom, abiding by correct human rights processes and also the rule of law and just ensuring that he's allowed a proper, fair trial".
Broadcast outlets have been restricted from airing Khan's name and speeches or even showing his image. Only a single court photograph has been publicly available since his imprisonment.
PTI swept to power in 2018 and retains a large support base across key provinces.
For four days, PTI supporters have blocked major highways linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab, stranding thousands of vehicles and affecting fuel and food supplies in some areas.
Asked if they had a message for Khan's supporters, Kasim asked them to "keep faith and keep fighting", adding: "It's the same kind of message we're trying to hold on to."
