Gandapur, Gohar lead PTI convoy to Lahore as party mobilises protest drive
The visit came amid heightened police presence, arrests of party workers, and escalating tensions with the Punjab government.
The convoy, which departed from Islamabad earlier in the day, arrived at the Raiwind Road farmhouse of former Deputy Senate Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, located near the Sharif family estate in Lahore. A dinner and strategic meetings of PTI's parliamentary committees were scheduled at the venue.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=758262426733730
According to party insiders, the discussions were expected to center on protest planning and legislative responses to the recent suspension of PTI lawmakers from the Punjab Assembly. Given the prevailing political climate in both Punjab and K-P, the meeting is being viewed as politically significant. Talks are also expected to address future political strategy and the potential for alliances between regional power blocs.
The convoy's arrival at Shahdara Morr was met with a heavy deployment of Punjab police. According to PTI sources, officers arrested four party workers, including Lahore-based ticket holder Engineer Yasir Gilani. Although Gilani was later released, the arrests fueled fresh accusations of political harassment by the PTI leadership. Media access to the site was restricted, and a scheduled press interaction was reportedly cancelled due to security concerns.
Addressing supporters prior to departure, Gandapur said the convoy symbolised peaceful solidarity with the 26 suspended PTI legislators. 'This is not a protest in the conventional sense, but a democratic show of unity,' he said. 'We bring with us a message of peace, brotherhood, and constitutional respect.'
He added that his government had formally notified the Punjab administration of their plans and travel route. 'Our elected representatives are being silenced through unconstitutional and undemocratic tactics,' Gandapur said. 'Political arrests will not derail our resolve to uphold democratic values and the public's right to representation.'
Earlier in Jhelum, Gandapur stated that the leadership was formulating a roadmap to sustain the movement through at least August 5. 'We want consensus through consultation. Our leadership and workers are in jail, but our commitment remains unwavering,' he said.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan affirmed that any announcement regarding the protest campaign would come directly from party founder Imran Khan. He said the Lahore visit was intended to meet party legislators and finalise the movement's future direction within the law.
رائیونڈ روڈ لاہور پر پارلیمانی پارٹی کا اجلاس ہو گا دھماکہ خیز فیصلہ ہو گا پنجاب اٹھے گا اگر راستے میں روکا گیا تو دھرنا دیں گے۔
اپوزیشن لیڈر پنجاب اسمبلی ملک احمد خان بھچر✌️🔥 pic.twitter.com/mFiWNiEFoF — Shahab Gondal (@ghega_shahab) July 12, 2025
Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar welcomed the convoy in a video message, calling it a 'symbolic awakening' of Punjab. 'The people of Lahore are on the streets to welcome their leaders,' he said. 'The government's use of force to suppress this peaceful demonstration is unacceptable — even under authoritarian regimes.'
Bhachar warned that PTI is prepared to launch sit-ins if obstructed, and condemned what he described as growing political repression under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's administration.
The backdrop to this political mobilisation is the June 27 suspension of 26 PTI lawmakers, following their protest during Maryam Nawaz's address to the Punjab Assembly. Since then, thousands of PTI workers have reportedly been arrested or charged as the party ramps up its opposition to the provincial government's policies and what it terms the 'Form 47 mandate.'
'PTI has now formally launched its protest movement,' Bhachar declared. 'Raids are underway across Punjab, and we are not afraid of these arrests. Our central leadership and parliamentary parties from K-P and Punjab are meeting in Lahore to finalise our course of action.'
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