The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has at last been granted permission to host a public meeting in Lahore, Punjab, following an extended legal and administrative struggle. The party, which was also permitted to show its public support in Islamabad two weeks ago, is relieved by this development. These permissions follow the highly controversial events of May 9, 2023, during which state installations, particularly military facilities, were vandalized, allegedly by PTI supporters. In the aftermath, the state propagated a narrative that PTI was behaving more like a rogue entity than a political party, leading to restrictions on its public gatherings. Such perceptions were especially apparent in the days leading up to the February 8th General Elections, when PTI’s campaigning was severely curtailed.

Despite these state-imposed restrictions, it remains a fundamental right of the people to gather and express their views publicly. Article 16 of the Constitution of Pakistan (1973) enshrines the right to freedom of assembly, allowing citizens to gather and propagate their ideas in society. Unfortunately, this right has been repeatedly undermined by state authorities, who have........

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