Over 150 PDM activists booked for violating Covid-19 SOPs during rally
Dec 07, 2020
Rawalpindi [Pakistan], December 8 : An FIR was registered against the local leadership of Pakistan opposition's alliance - Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), including members of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), along with 150 workers of different parties for violating Covid-19 standard operating procedures during a rally on Sunday.
A rally was brought out by PDM on the call of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to protest the government action against opposition workers, Dawn reported.
During a public meeting in Multan, Rehman had announced to stage demonstrations in all the district headquarters on Friday and Sunday against the government's crackdown on opposition workers.
Over 300 workers of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), PML-N and JUI-F, along with other parties, gathered in front Jamia Islamia Mosque in Kamran Market, Saddar, and walked towards Rawalpindi Press Club.
The protesters chanted slogans and holding party flags, while vowing to make the PDM's Lahore public meeting on December 13 successful.
The Cantonment police registered the FIR against 12 PDM leaders and 150 political workers.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of sanitation health inspector Hamid Mehmood, in which he said the participants of the rally violated the coronavirus-related SOPs.
Meanwhile, PDM leaders condemned the police action and said that holding such demonstrations was a democratic right of the people, reported Dawn.
PML-N Divisional President Malik Abrar Ahmed said traders also brought out rallies but the administration lodged the FIR against political workers.
"We will challenge the police action against political workers," he added.
According to Dawn, the rally was attended by PML-N City President Sardar Naseem Khan and JUI-F was presented by Dr Ziaur Rehman, Maulana Abdul Majeed Hazarvi and others. PPP's Raja Maqsood and other workers were also present.
The speakers of the rally said that the people of the country are facing inflation, energy crisis and unemployment due to the government's incompetence, adding that the PTI government's days were numbered.
This comes ahead of PDM's public meeting in Lahore on December 13.
