Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly withdrawn its application for a rally in Rawalpindi, opting instead for a protest on September 28. This decision came on the instructions of Imran Khan.

PTI had submitted the request to the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench, but it has now been retracted following Khan’s directives, according to local media citing party leaders.

This shift follows the cancellation of the planned rally due to restrictions imposed by local authorities and courts. Imran Khan announced the cancellation, confirming that PTI would instead stage a protest in Rawalpindi on September 28.

He explained that the decision to withdraw the application stemmed from the unlikelihood of receiving permission for the event. Despite this, Khan emphasized that the public would still take to the streets for the protest scheduled for Saturday.

In anticipation of the protest, police have conducted raids on the homes of local PTI leaders in Rawalpindi, targeting figures such as Shehryar Riaz, Raja Basharat, Atif Riaz, and Rashid Hafeez. However, police reported that none of the leaders were home during the raids, and no arrests were made.

The protest is expected to proceed as planned on September 28.

Yesterday, Imran Khan declared the protest in Rawalpindi, asserting that no official permission was necessary for the rally. “Our lawyers will also protest outside the Supreme Court tomorrow. It has become clear that [Chief Justice] Qazi Faez Isa is aligned with them, acting as one of their players, while Sikandar Sultan Raja and the third umpire control everything,” he stated.

Khan also directed his party’s leadership to cease negotiations with the establishment, asserting that such discussions only serve to empower their opponents.