PTI Fails to Hold Quetta Rally Amid Section 144 and Tight Security Measures

Quetta: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was unable to hold its scheduled rally in Quetta on Friday after the district administration enforced **Section 144** and imposed **stringent security measures**, effectively locking down the city.

According to reports, authorities **flooded the proposed venue — Hockey Ground — with water**, rendering it unusable. Meanwhile, **mobile internet services were suspended across 11 districts of Balochistan**, including Quetta, Mastung, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Chaman, Khuzdar, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Loralai, Harnai, and Ziarat, causing severe inconvenience to citizens, journalists, and students.

The district administration said that PTI’s request to hold the rally was **denied due to security concerns**, as a province-wide ban under **Section 144** prohibits all public gatherings for one month. Law enforcement agencies, including police and Frontier Corps, were deployed across the city, while **containers sealed all entry points to the Red Zone**.

Residents complained of widespread traffic jams and blockages that left roads deserted and schools empty, as students and employees struggled to reach their destinations.

At a press conference, **PTI Balochistan President Dawood Shah** announced that the party had **decided to postpone the rally** to ensure the safety of its workers and the public. He accused the provincial government of deliberately creating chaos to sabotage the event, saying, “The government has blocked roads with containers, destroyed food supplies, sealed hospital routes, and even flooded the venue to stop our gathering.”

Shah alleged that the government wanted to provoke unrest similar to the events of November 26, but PTI chose restraint. “We will approach the court again to obtain a new date for the rally,” he said, emphasizing that **peaceful protest is a constitutional and democratic right.**

He further remarked that the **Balochistan government, led by Sarfraz Bugti, is afraid of Imran Khan’s popularity**, adding, “The people of Quetta supported Imran Khan in the 2024 elections, and we respect their mandate. Our struggle will continue through democratic means.”