Lahore PPP President Faisal Mir says he will stand firm even if it means getting arrested
The Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) plans to hold a labor convention at Greater Iqbal Park on July 25 suffered a setback on Friday after the Lahore district administration halted preparations for the event, saying the party had not received written permission.
The move came after the party had already erected a stage and made extensive preparations at the site where workers were scheduled to gather on Saturday and later celebrate President Asif Ali Zardari’s birthday on July 26.
The district administration has sought an explanation from the OPP management about the use of the park’s premises without formal approval.
Express Pakinomist reached out to Lahore PPP President Faisal Mir on the matter, who claimed that his party went ahead with the event “after receiving assurance from the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office”.
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“I was told that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had no objection to the convention and she had approved the event,” he said.
“Based on this assurance, we began preparations for the event at Greater Iqbal Park,” Mir added.
The Lahore PPP president then alleged that the district administration intervened and stopped the workers after nearly 14 hours of preparation for the event.
Mir said he will stand his ground even if it meant being arrested.
On X, he said, “Punjab government has restricted access to Minar-e-Pakistan to prevent our labor convention, while trucks carrying chairs and other equipment have also been stopped,” adding that despite that, they remain determined to hold the labor convention “in a peaceful manner” under any circumstances.
Mir further stated that the PPP hoped that “in respect of democratic traditions” the issue would be resolved immediately.
The administration of Punjab has restricted the way to the convention of the People’s Party of Pakistan, while the chairs and trucks have also been stopped.
nevertheless… pic.twitter.com/iWmyDMCxJp— Faisal Mir (@faisalmirppp) July 24, 2026
When contacted by Express PakinomistThe Ministry declined to comment on whether the Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister had given approval for the event.
Meanwhile, a senior police official requesting anonymity said the police had sought clarification regarding the event from the district administration after being told that preparations were underway at the venue.
He said they were subsequently informed that no written permission had been given after which the Deputy Commissioner took cognizance of the matter.
Lahore PPP Deputy Information Secretary Ahmad Rehman Ghuman posted a video on X showing party workers communicating with police officials in the park, while the caption demonstrated a strong will to hold the event.
In another post on social media, Ghuman showed a video of the stage the workers erected along with seating for the rally.
These scenes are directly from the central stage of the Pakistan People’s Party. Despite the intense heat, I live with my family in Pakistan. A large number of workers from different towns of Lahore are participating and waiting for the stage to be completed. This public… pic.twitter.com/Wy4EU6w4DM
— Ahmad Ghuman (@ghuman_ar) July 24, 2026
A day earlier, PPP workers entered Greater Iqbal Park and started constructing a stage without written approval from the district administration. At that time, the officials did not stop the preparations.
speaks to Express PakinomistDistrict administration officials said the PPP would not be barred from holding the convention if there is no fallout between the party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership.
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Sources within the PPP acknowledged that the party had gone ahead without written permission and maintained that verbal assurances from the Chief Minister’s Office were sufficient to start preparations.
Mir had said Punjab CM’s principal secretary Sajid Zafar Dall informed him that the chief minister had approved the event after which the party workers assembled and started preparations on Thursday.
He said the police had also been informed about the gathering.
The party planned to erect a stage 100 feet long and 24 feet wide. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was expected to address workers via video link on July 25, while Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Hassan Murtaza and Qamar Zaman Kaira were also expected to attend the rally.
President Asif Ali Zardari’s birthday was to be marked the following day with the cutting of a 24-foot cake.
Sources said the district administration had advised the PPP to obtain formal approval before going ahead.
Officials were reportedly concerned that permission to the PPP could complicate the processing of similar requests by other political parties, including the PTI, which has also sought permission to hold a rally in Lahore on 5 August.
