Can’t allow PTI to use Christians’ turf in Sialkot to hold its rally: Hamza

The issue of allowing the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to hold its public meeting at the CTI Ground, Sialkot today (Saturday) is heating up as the government is asking the PTI organizers to change the rally point to some other place in the city, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz also jumped into the foray saying that the PTI should select some other place in Sialkot as the CTI Ground is property of the Christian community and there is a Christian Church built on it. He said that the Christian community might raise objection if the PTI would use its turf.

Hamza said that his government would not allow PTI Chairman Imran Khan to play with the country’s constitution and law. 

On the other hand, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar while talking to media said that the government would not let the PTI use swathe of the Christian church for politics. 

“Why the PTI does not hold its public rally at Sialkot Stadium which provides a much bigger ambience for holding a political meeting,” he wondered adding that the PTI was aware that it could not fill up the big stadium with people, so it wanted a smaller place for holding its rally. 

“We challenge Imran to hold its rally at Sialkot Stadium,” Tarar said adding that the PTI wanted to ignite the Christian-Muslim clashes in the garb of holding its public gathering at the CTI Ground. He vowed that government would not allow that.

Also Read: PTI leader Usman Dar, workers arrested as police storm Sialkot rally venue

The PML-N leader also said that if the government had to arrest the local leadership of the PTI in order to thwart this rally, it would do so. 

Also Read: Case on terror charges lodged against PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh

It is pertinent to mention here that the police in Sialkot stormed the venue of the PTI public gathering late Friday night and rounded up several party workers, including party’s senior leader Usman Dar.

Govt helpless if masses don’t allow PTI to hold rally, says info minister

Calling the PTI a gang of ‘thieves, thugs and incompetent’ people, Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday that what the government could do when the masses were not willing to give their piece of land to the party for its rally in Sialkot, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

شاباش حسن ! pic.twitter.com/9AsqubVPv0

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 14, 2022

Commenting on the police’s late night crackdown on the PTI workers, she said if the Christian community of the city was not ready to give the land to the party, which they had reserved for their church, then what Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah could do in such a situation. “PTI Chairman Imran Khan wants the minister to allow public gathering on the plot without taking into account the objections raised by the Christians living there,” she said, adding, “But that is not going to happen.” 

معیشت کی تباہی، ڈالر کی تاریخی بلند ی کا مجرم عمران صاحب ہیں پاکستان کو گھمگیر مسائل کی دلدل میں عمران
خان نے دھنسایا ہے آج ڈالر میںتاریخی اضافہ ہورہا ہے تو عمران صاحب ذمہ دار ہیں ڈالر 193 پہ عمران خان کی وجہ سے گیا ہے

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) May 13, 2022

Marriyum further said she wanted to make that clear to Imran that people were not his slaves, and that he and his party men should have respect for the religious sentiments of members of the Christian community. “As per law, the government cannot allow the PTI to hold its event on a private land,” the info minister said, and wondered as to why the party was not willing to use Government Murray College ground or Sports Gymnasium Pasroor for the purpose. “This clearly shows that the PTI chairman and other party leaders are only interested in playing the ‘victim card’,” she claimed.