Power-packed show at PDM's Peshawar rally despite Imran Khan's threats
Nov 22, 2020
Peshawar [Pakistan], November 22 : Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an 11-party opposition alliance, kicked off its power rally on Sunday in Peshawar despite threats by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
During the rally, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari delivered a long speech to the gathering, vowing that the people of the province will never be left to fend for themselves, accusing the incumbent government of abandoning them, Geo News reported.
He further said that the month of January will be Imran Khan's "last month in power".
"A voice is rising from within Gilgit-Baltistan, saying 'do not rob the vote'," he said.
"The entire Pakhtunkhwa is demanding 'go, Imran, go!'...This is the land of the brave, the honourable," the PPP chairman said.
He further said though the people have made sacrifices in the fight against terrorism "but the selected did not dare raise his voice against terrorists".
The PPP will "not allow this puppet to let its hold again," the party chief said.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) chief Maryam Nawaz had appeared on the stage for only a brief moment before leaving abruptly after the news of the demise of her grandmother Begum Shamim Akhtar in London, ARY News reported.
"I came to meet you but I just found out my dadi passed away in London," she said while addressing the crowd.
The dais was shared by PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman among several other leaders. The PDM had earlier held massive rallies in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, demanding Prime Minister Imran Khan's resignation.
Earlier, Imran Khan had taken to Twitter to blame the PDM for "deliberately endangering lives and livelihoods" by holding rallies.
"Pakistan's second COVID 19 spike data is of concern: Increase in Covid patients on ventilators in last 15 days: Peshawar 200%, Multan 200%, Karachi 148%, Lahore 114%, Islamabad 65%. Multan & Isb Covid ventilators capacity utilisation 70%," he said.
He further said, "Across the world, there is a second spike & complete lockdowns in most countries. In Pak, the PDM by continuing with jalsas is deliberately endangering lives & livelihoods because if cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing, we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown & PDM will be responsible for consequences."
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had said that it will initiate legal action against the PDM leaders if coronavirus cases increased after the public rally.
