ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Tuesday granted Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) permission to hold a rally at the Liaquat Bagh of Rawalpindi on December 27 to observe the 12th death anniversary of the former prime minister and PPP’s assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto.
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She was killed in a suicide-and-gun attack on December 27 in 2007 after addressing an election rally ahead of the 2008 general polls.
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Every year, Pakistan People’s Party holds a public meeting or rally to mark Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary.
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This year, however, the day has assumed more significance as chairman of the party and Bhutto’s son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has selected the same venue for the public meeting where his mother was assassinated.
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The Punjab government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had earlier refused to accept the PPP’s application for holding a jalsa (public meeting) and rally at the Liaquat Bagh.
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In a notification issued on Monday, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Saifullah Dogar had cited police and the special branch as opposing a public gathering at the venue owing to prevailing security situation.
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Therefore, “permission for holding jalsa at Liaquat Bagh by Mr Bilawal Bhutto Zardari cannot be granted,” the notification read.
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However, Pakistan People’s Party moved the Lahore High Court against the district administration’s notification and Justice Tariq Abbasi while hearing petition on Tuesday granted permission for public gathering and summoned the district administration of Rawalpindi for its response on December 26.
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Following the court order, police reached the Liaquat Bagh to monitor the preparations where a large number of PPP workers and district officials are already busy in making arrangements to mark their leader’s death anniversary in a befitting manner. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is scheduled to address the gathering on Dec 27, Friday.
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PPP leaders including former Minister and PPP Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira, MNA Dr Nafeesa Shah, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Chaudhry Manzoor and others while talking to media in Islamabad welcomed the court’s decision and lambasted the district and the provincial governments for denying the PPP right to hold public rally to mark Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary.
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“After the Lahore High Court’s decision, we need no permission from the district, provincial or the federal governments to hold public meeting at Liaquat Bagh. Now it is the government’s responsibility to ensure security of the venue and oversee smooth arrangements for peaceful gathering,” said Kaira.
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