PPP Chairman Lahore says party will continue with scheduled program on July 25 irrespective of circumstances
LAHORE:
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is bracing for a political showdown with the Punjab government after its demand to hold a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan remained pending for over six weeks, prompting the party to warn of protests, sit-ins and other agitations at the former PML-N citadel if permission continues to be denied.
Party leaders said a “total traffic jam”, stretching from highways to Lahore’s main thoroughfares, could be considered as part of a wider protest campaign, with the government keeping its permit in cold storage.
They accused the Maryam Nawaz-led Punjab government of denying the PPP its constitutional and democratic right to hold a peaceful political rally, adding that the party would announce its future course of action at a press conference on Wednesday.
A senior party leader said the government had kept permission for gatherings “in cold storage” despite a six-week deadline having passed.
“Six weeks was enough. Now we have had enough,” he said. He lamented that the legal and democratic right of the party to organize a peaceful political event had been denied by the Punjab government.
The leader said the party would outline its strategy at Wednesday’s press conference.
“Our main goal is to get permission to hold a rally, and that’s it,” he said.
“If they arrest us while we are seeking government permission, so be it,” he added.
“What would the headlines say? ‘Maryam Nawaz-led government arrests leaders of its alliance partner’,” he remarked.
According to a media message, PPP Lahore submitted its application for the rally on June 8 and visited the deputy commissioner’s office several times, but permission was never granted.
The message said, “PPP Lahore had informed the Punjab government that if permission was not issued before 8 p.m. on July 14, 2026, the party would launch a peaceful democratic campaign against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s refusal to grant permission and ensure her democratic right to hold the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. The campaign will include peaceful protests, sit-ins, marches and other constitutional and democratic measures.
“As the Punjab government failed to issue the permission within the stipulated time, Pakistan People’s Party Lahore will announce its future course of action in an important press conference.”
PPP Lahore Chairman Faisal Mir said the party would continue with its scheduled program on July 25 irrespective of the circumstances.
