LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement agencies in Lahore have launched a major crackdown on individuals involved in the May 9, 2023, events, ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally scheduled for Saturday.
The city’s police have devised a comprehensive action plan, with divisional superintendents of police assigned to oversee the operations.
According to police officials, all station house officers (SHOs) have been instructed to arrest those still evading capture from the May 9 incidents. As PTI prepares for the potential public gathering, police remain on high alert to ensure law and order.
A police spokesperson confirmed that security arrangements for the rally are being carefully planned, though the final security measures will depend on the confirmation of the rally’s location. If the district administration grants permission, additional security officers will be deployed to the venue.
To bolster security, cameras will be installed at the entrance gates of the rally site to monitor attendees.
Furthermore, officials stationed at the event will have access to photos and data of individuals wanted in connection with the May 9 incidents, enabling them to identify and detain any suspects present.
In a parallel development, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court on Wednesday seeking to prevent the PTI rally, requesting a court order to bar the party from holding any gatherings in Punjab.
The application, submitted by Mirza Wahid Rafique through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, named PTI and the Punjab government as respondents. It claimed that anti-judiciary speeches are made at PTI rallies, where the judiciary and legal institutions are insulted.
The petition further raised concerns about the possibility of violence at the planned rally in Lahore, urging the court to prohibit PTI from holding public meetings anywhere in the province.
