ISLAMABAD: The district administration has granted permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a power show in Islamabad on August 22.
This decision was communicated by the state counsel to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the approval of the public gathering in the federal capital.
The development follows a contempt plea filed in the IHC against the suspension of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for PTI’s Islamabad power show. The plea was submitted by Khanzaada Hussain, Coordinator of Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aein, challenging the suspension of the NOC for the Tarnol Jalsa.
The petition requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings against officials for canceling the NOC despite a court order. According to the petition, the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad informed the court on July 4 that an NOC had been issued to PTI.
However, PTI leader Amir Mughal was arrested by police outside the DC Office while he was taking officials to the power show site, the petitioner stated. PTI learned about the NOC cancellation through a tweet from Islamabad Police. Following the tweet, the Deputy Commissioner sent a letter to the petitioner, confirming the cancellation.
Earlier, the Islamabad Chief Commissioner had suspended the NOC issued to PTI for a public gathering, just a day before the scheduled meeting. The decision was made during a meeting chaired by the Chief Commissioner, where security agencies expressed concerns about potential risks associated with the rally.
The district administration had initially granted permission to PTI for a public gathering on July 6 near Tarnol Chowk. After the NOC was issued, the IHC disposed of the application for its issuance. Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court presided over the petition seeking permission for PTI’s meeting in the federal capital.
