ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party has postponed its rally in Lahore that was scheduled to be held on August 27, a party member said, adding the administration refused to grant permission for the gathering despite the Lahore High Court (LHC) directives.
This is the second setback suffered by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of the jailed former premier in less than a week. The party previously deferred its rally in Islamabad.
PTI Punjab Information Secretary Shaukat Basra told Arab News they would request the Lahore High Court for permission to hold the rally in Lahore after the Islamabad gathering.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will hold a public gathering in Lahore after the Islamabad rally on September 8. At the moment, we want to fully focus on Islamabad public gathering,” Basra told Arab News on Monday.
“The PTI will be filing a contempt of court petition in the Lahore High Court against the administration. We will be requesting the court for permission for a public gathering in Lahore.”
On Thursday, the PTI announced postponement of its rally in Islamabad, a day after the Islamabad chief commissioner denied permission for the event, citing security threats and a lack of resources with security agencies. The rally was initially planned for July to build pressure for Khan’s release from prison following his arrest over a year ago, but the party had rescheduled it for August 22.
The PTI has struggled to hold rallies across the country since August last year when Khan was arrested on multiple charges and subsequently convicted in four cases, all of which have since been quashed by higher courts. New cases have since been filed against Khan and he remains in prison.
The party says it is facing a state-backed crackdown and the mass arrest of its members and supporters for standing by Khan. Pakistani authorities deny this.
Ex-PM Khan’s party postpones Lahore rally saying administration not granting permission
https://arab.news/9b6bh
Ex-PM Khan’s party postpones Lahore rally saying administration not granting permission
- Last week the Islamabad chief commissioner disallowed PTI from holding Aug. 22 rally citing security threats, lack of resources
- Islamabad rally now rescheduled for Sept. 8, PTI officials say will focus on Islamabad gathering and hold rally in Lahore afterwards
Pakistan says it will back Saudi Arabia ‘no matter what’ amid Iran strikes — Bloomberg
- Comments follow Iran missile and drone strikes on Gulf states after US-Israeli attacks on Tehran began last month
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed mutual defense pact last year, Riyadh is supporting Islamabad’s oil supply during crisis
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ready to support Saudi Arabia “no matter what” as tensions escalate across the Middle East following Iranian strikes on Gulf states, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing comments from the spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Mosharraf Zaidi told Bloomberg TV Islamabad would come to Riyadh’s aid whenever required, emphasizing the longstanding security partnership between the two countries, which was further strengthened by a mutual defense pact signed in September last year.
There was “no question we might, we will” come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “no matter what and no matter when,” Zaidi said.
“Both countries, even before the defense agreement, have always operated on the principle of being there for the other,” he added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historically maintained close military and strategic ties, and the new agreement elevated their security cooperation at a time of heightened regional instability.
Zaidi said Pakistan was also working diplomatically to prevent the conflict from expanding further across the region.
“The real question is what is Pakistan doing to make sure things don’t come to a point where any of its closest partners are further embroiled in a conflict that could potentially undermine stability and prosperity in the region,” he said.
The comments come as Iran has continued missile and drone strikes against Gulf states following US and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets, a conflict that has sent global energy markets higher and raised fears of broader regional escalation.
Zaidi said Saudi Arabia had made arrangements to support Pakistan’s oil and diesel supplies as the crisis pushes global fuel prices higher, posing a challenge for the import-dependent South Asian economy.
