LAHORE: Unidentified persons ripped off and threw in the drain flags of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and banners for the workers’ convention the party had announced to be held in Township, Lahore on Sunday.
As the wedding hall — where the event was to take place — was locked and the owner could not be contacted by party leaders, the PTI leaders started the convention on the road where workers shouted slogans against the incumbent rulers.
“The hall owner was threatened with dire consequences if he let the convention take place,” PTI leader Shafqat Mehmood said while talking to the media. “If such tactics are to be used then the people responsible should be ready for a war.”
Talking to the media during the convention, another party leader said PTI was a progressive party and would not be undermined by such tactics.
A heavy contingent of police reached the site and informed higher authorities.
However, PML-N leader Zaeem Qadri, who is also a spokesperson for the Punjab government, was of the view the issue was a result of internal rifts between the party’s sub-grounds. He added there were tensions between the groups of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jehangir Tareen and the allegations levelled against PML-N were baseless.
