Islamabad admin refuses to grant permission to PTI March 30 rally

The Islamabad district administration on Sunday formally rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) application seeking permission to hold a public rally against the “massive rigging” in February 8 polls, post-poll result manipulations, and “deviation from the Constitution” in Islamabad on March 30, citing “law and order situation”.

The development came before the expiry of a two-day deadline set by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the district administration to make a decision on the Imran Khan-founded party’s plea seeking permission to hold a public gathering in Islamabad in end-March.

The former ruling party had moved the court alleging that the capital city administering was unresponsive to their request and sought its order in this regard.

In a statement, PTI regional president Aamir Masood Mughal confirmed the report and announced that his party would again approach the IHC.

“If you can’t provide security even in the capital, then you have no right to stay in the government,” he added.

The Imran Khan-founded party believed that the incumbent rulers stole their electoral mandate in the elections and the results were changed in Form 47s to benefit the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

It is pertinent to mention here that the former ruling party would hold a press briefing on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package and its impacts on the masses and the economy tomorrow (Monday). It was decided during a PTI core committee meeting held on March 22.

The cash-strapped Pakistan's standby $3 billion arrangement with the global lender expires on April 11, and the two sides reached a staff-level agreement regarding the disbursal of the final tranche of $1.1 billion earlier this week.