‘Worst’ COVID-19 violation committed by politicians, says Asad Umar after PDM announces Karachi rally

• “Sadly the worst violations of COVID-19 SOPs in the last one year have come from politicians,” says Asad Umar. 
• Asad Umar slams leadership of PDM for announcing a rally in Karachi amid the worst COVID-19 situation in the port city. 
• PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced to stage a public rally in Karachi on August 29.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Thursday lashed out at the political leadership of the country over the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced a public meeting in Karachi this month.

PDM president and chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, addressing a press conference had announced to stage a public meeting in Karachi on August 29.

Taking to Twitter, Asad Umar said, “Two weeks back, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was threatening to hold PM Imran Khan and ministers accountable if COVID-19 spreads further in Karachi and now PDM announces holding a public meeting this month in Karachi.”

Expressing his annoyance over the decision, the federal minister said, “Sadly the worst violations of COVID-19 SOPs in the last one year have come from politicians.”

AJK polls ‘super spreader’

The federal minister also lamented the high positivity ratio in Azad Jammu and Kashmir after the elections.

“Had recommended that AJK elections get postponed for a couple of months and a special vaccination campaign run before the elections. It was not agreed,” he said.

“Since the elections, the positivity of AJK is running between 25 and 30%. Elections have acted as a super spreader event.”

Fazl announces rally in Karachi

On Wednesday, PDM chief Fazlur Rehman declared the electronic voting machine (EVM) as the "simplest way to rig elections" as the alliance rejected the government's "unilateral" electoral reforms and Azad Jammu and Kashmir's election results.

Fazl's remarks came following a meeting between the Opposition alliance in Islamabad after a two-month hiatus, during which it was decided PDM will "direct all its efforts in ensuring free and fair elections [take place] in the country."

Speaking about the PDM's next course of action, he had said that the alliance's steering committee would hold a meeting on August 21 in Islamabad, during which the parties will mull over the recommendations presented today after internal deliberations.

The PDM chief had said that final decisions will be made in the committee's meeting on August 28 in Karachi, following which, on August 29, a massive rally will be held in the port city.