Bakhtawar's engagement invitation in hand, Gill calls out PDM over Peshawar jalsa

Highlighting the condition that guests invited to Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari's engagement on November 27 show up with a mandatory negative coronavirus test, Special Assistant to PM on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Saturday accused Opposition parties for not caring about ordinary people's lives in the same way as they go ahead with their November 22 jalsa in Peshawar.

Taking to Twitter, Gill shared an image of the invitation card to Bakhtawar's engagement event, in which he had highlighted the line which says all guests are required to bring a scanned copy of a negative result of a coronavirus test conducted 24 hours prior to attendance at the event. 

"For Bakhtawar's engagement, you need a mandatory COVID-19 test report or you will not be allowed to enter Bilawal House," he wrote. "Why do you not care about the lives of the ordinary people you call to your jalsas?"

"Your lives seem to be very dear to you, yet you consider ordinary people to be below you. This is a pharaonic attitude," he said.

Read more: Opposition parties doing 'reckless politics' over people's safety, says PM Imran Khan

PDM not backing down

The statement from the government official came after the Opposition decided it would push ahead with the Peshawar jalsa at Peshawar's Dalazak Road, Ring Road Chowk despite the city administration denying permission for a gathering there on Friday.

A notification issued by the Peshawar deputy commissioner's office said the matter was considered by the district administration and capital city police under Section 14 of the KP Civil Administration Act 2020. The government officials did a field assessment and held a meeting with the jalsa organisers.

But, citing a November 2 notification issued by the KP government banning large public gatherings owing to the rising coronavirus positivity rate in the community, the deputy commissioner denied permission to hold the jalsa "after considering all aspects, and to safeguard human lives due to potential spread of COVID-19."

However, the PDM is not ready to back down. Its media coordinator, Abdul Jalil Jan, said the PDM rally will be held as planned on November 22.

He added that they will not tolerate any sort of ban from the Peshawar district administration. Jan said holding the rally is their fundamental right under the Constitution and law.