PTI caravan reaches Lahore; four detained

Lahore: Led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a convoy of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians has arrived in Lahore from Islamabad.

Ahead of the convoy’s arrival, a large police contingent was deployed at Shahdara. Police officials stated that PTI workers and the convoy were not permitted to gather at the location. Authorities also confirmed the detention of four PTI workers, including party leader Yasir Gillani.

A meeting of PTI’s parliamentary party members from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is currently underway at a private farmhouse in Raiwind to discuss the party’s upcoming protest plans.

Sources say that the session, chaired by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and CM Ali Amin Gandapur, is focused on finalizing the strategy for a protest movement set to begin on August 5.

The meeting is being attended by PTI leaders as well as members of the national and provincial assemblies. The decisions made in the session will be shared with the media in a press briefing scheduled for tomorrow.

Before departing for Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stated that the convoy is intended to show solidarity with the elected representatives who were removed from the Punjab Assembly. "Those who believe we are going to protest should know this is solely a gesture of solidarity," he said.

Prior to departure, members of the National and Provincial Assemblies from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gathered at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by the party leadership, along with representatives from the National Assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab Assemblies.

During the meeting, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja emphasized that the visit to Lahore is purely for dialogue. "We are not engaging in any unconstitutional activity, and there is no threat of arrests," they clarified.