RAWALPINDI: The district administration of Rawalpindi announced on Wednesday that it has declined PTI’s request to hold a public rally at Liaquat Bagh scheduled for Thursday.
The decision was primarily based on the enforcement of Section 144 in the district, which restricts public gatherings and assemblies.
PTI had previously declared on Monday its intention to organize a political rally at Liaquat Bagh on April 9, warning that legal action would be pursued if permission was denied.
In an official letter to Aqil Khan, PTI’s District General Secretary for Rawalpindi, the Deputy Commissioner explained that the decision was made following a thorough review of the current law and order situation, along with recent security threat assessments. The matter was also discussed during meetings of the District Intelligence Committee (DIC).
The letter detailed that the committee evaluated the prevailing threat levels and received input from law enforcement agencies, which indicated credible risks linked to large gatherings. It emphasized that such events could endanger the safety of participants as well as the public and property.
Furthermore, the Deputy Commissioner stated that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C) has already been activated across Rawalpindi to prevent large public assemblies.
The letter also highlighted that deploying sufficient police and security personnel to manage the rally’s scale and complexity is currently unfeasible due to ongoing energy shortages and recent austerity policies announced by the government.
Considering these logistical, security, and financial hurdles, and following the consensus of the District Intelligence Committee and law enforcement authorities, the request to hold the rally was turned down, the letter concluded.
