Coronavirus: PTI govt moves to stop PDM from holding Peshawar rally

ISLAMABAD: The government is making efforts to stop the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from holding the rally in Peshawar on Sunday amid the worsening situation of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Talking to Geo News on Thursday, Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar said he has requested National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to call a meeting of the NA body on coronavirus to stop the opposition’s rally.

Umar has asked Qaiser to find a solution in which political activity may continue, but the safety of the public is also ensured.

Protection of health and employment of citizens must be a priority, he said.

But PDM is unhappy.

Its spokesperson, Mian Iftikhar, responded to Umar and said the federal government is making the same mistake as the provincial government in the handling of political rallies.

Read more: PDM to hold Multan rally at all cost: Yousaf Raza Gilani

He said PDM would ask for the permission but go ahead with the rally even if it is not given.

The spokesperson expressed the belief that it is not appropriate for the organizer of the rally to be asked to approach the government for talks.

The government should come to the PDM, Iftikhar said. He said the opposition will not attend the NA speaker’s meeting.

‘Opposition will not negotiate’

The opposition is not ready for any negotiation and plans to hold the PDM rallies in Peshawar and Multan as per schedule, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah told the media on Thursday.

After this, there will be a rally in Lahore on December 13, he said, calling the government’s “propaganda” a failure.

If coronavirus spreads from rallies, there should first be a smart lockdown in Gujranwala from where the virus spread after the initial PDM rally, Sanaullah said.

Read more: No more political rallies, large gatherings to be limited to 300 people, says PM Imran

He asked what would happen to the government in the second phase if it was not able to maintain even peaceful political rallies.

“We don’t need the government’s permission for a rally in Lahore,” he said, adding that the opposition had told the Lahore Capital City Police Officer that if PDM’s rally is stopped, they would hold rallies all across Lahore.

The Islamabad High Court did not ban the rallies, but asked us to be careful, he said.