The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday disposed of a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) seeking permission to hold a public rally at Minar-i-Pakistan, after the court was informed that the deputy commissioner had already rejected the party’s request. Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf heard the petition, filed by PTI Lahore President Mian Akram Usman, as the party pushed ahead with countrywide protests marking three years since the imprisonment of party founder Imran Khan.
Key Highlights
- LHC disposes of PTI’s Minar-i-Pakistan rally petition after DC denies permission
- Deputy commissioner cites potential terrorist threats in Lahore as grounds for refusal
- Justice Rauf advises PTI to challenge the DC’s order as the appropriate legal remedy
- PTI had sought a no-objection certificate on July 22 for the rally
- Party alleges administrative silence amounted to indirect refusal of its request
Lahore High Court Hears PTI Plea Seeking Permission for Minar-e-Pakistan Rally#pti #ptijalsa #minarepakistan #lahore #imrankhan #pakistanpolitics #politicalnews #breakingnews #latestnews #capitaltv pic.twitter.com/KVeuWQZ9iG
— Capital TV (@CapitalTVLive) August 5, 2026
Court Questions Its Own Jurisdiction on the Matter
At the start of Wednesday’s hearing, Justice Rauf directed a law officer to seek instructions from the deputy commissioner on the status of PTI’s application. When proceedings resumed, the law officer told the court that the deputy commissioner had rejected the request at a high-level meeting, citing potential terrorist threats in Lahore as the reason permission could not be granted.
Justice Rauf then asked PTI’s counsel under what legal basis the court, exercising jurisdiction under Article 199 of the Constitution, could grant permission for a public gathering after the deputy commissioner had already ruled on the matter. Rather than adjudicate the request itself, the judge disposed of the petition and advised the party’s lawyer to challenge the deputy commissioner’s order separately, calling it the appropriate legal course if PTI felt aggrieved.
PTI Alleges Delay Tactics Preceded Outright Refusal
In the petition, Usman said PTI had submitted its request for a no-objection certificate on July 22, offering assurances of full compliance with security, traffic and administrative protocols for the rally. He alleged that despite repeated follow-ups, the deputy commissioner’s office neither granted nor formally refused the application, instead resorting to what he described as delaying tactics and administrative silence.
The petitioner argued that this inaction effectively amounted to an indirect refusal, one that infringed on rights protecting due process, peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of expression.
Part of a Wider Day of Protest
Wednesday’s court proceedings came as PTI carried out countrywide protests to mark three years since Khan’s imprisonment and to press for his release, with a gathering in Peshawar serving as the centerpiece of the party’s campaign. The Lahore rally at Minar-i-Pakistan had been intended as part of that broader push, though it now remains without court-ordered clearance, leaving PTI’s next move dependent on whether it chooses to challenge the deputy commissioner’s decision directly.
