THE Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Thursday postponed its public meeting at Tarnol and announced to hold it now on Sept 8. PTI leader Azam Swati announced the rally postponement in the presence of party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. He claimed the public meeting was being postponed on the instructions of party founder Imran Khan and it would now be held on Sept 8.
Political analysts and vested interests are interpreting the decision of the party differently to suit their plans and designs but the fact remains the party has behaved maturely by postponing the scheduled public meeting. Politics is the name of flexibility and adjustment and the party has earned a lot of goodwill by cooperating in efforts to maintain law and order in a complicated scenario. By agreeing to postpone its programme for holding a rally in the Federal Capital for the fifth time since February this year, PTI has, once again, shown flexibility in its attitude. This represents a marked difference when, in the past, the party openly challenged the writ of the government and even flouted open and clear guidelines of the judiciary, which has liberally been granting permission to it to organize public meetings and rallies. In fact, freedom of speech and assembly was the fundamental right of the people and political parties are fully entitled to mobilize the public opinion but their activities must remain within the bounds of the law. The country has suffered a lot due to politics of agitation and chaos and it is a matter of satisfaction that the political leadership and political parties are now realizing the need for peace and tranquillity. It was heartening to note Azam Swati quoting the founding Chairman of the PTI expressing his commitment to peaceful political and legal struggle. He emphasized that Thursday’s public meeting was postponed to avoid any chaos but the party would start rallies across the country to uphold the rule of the law and the Constitution. The party has revised its plans for holding rallies in Lahore and the Federal Capital and it is hoped the authorities concerned would grant necessary permission for the purpose keeping in view the accommodative attitude of the party.
