RAWALPINDI: An all parties rally will leave the garrison city for Gujranwala tomorrow (Friday) to participate in a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) public meeting the same evening.

PDM leaders made the announcement at a press conference held at Jamia Islamia Saddar on Wednesday.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Punjab Emir Dr Attiqueur Rehman said that meetings will be held all over the province if an attempt is made to stop the rally. He said the administration should not disturb the situation.

PML-N’s Malik Ibrar, Sardar Naseem, Haji Farooq and Haji Pervez, PPP’s Babar Jadoon and Raja Tauqeer Abbasi, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s Ziaullah Khan, Awami National Party’s Haji Zahid and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani) Hafiz Hussain Ahmad were also present.

A strategy for the Gujranwala meeting was also finalised at a meeting earlier.

Dr Rehman said that the opposition parties have come out onto the streets so that people have the right to vote.

“We will not accept the oppression of any institution. All the parties are united. The movement launched against the present government for two years and now it is about to reach its logical conclusion,” he said.

He added that the movement would not be stopped by illegal arrest of workers or the placing of shipping containers.

“If our rallies are stopped or the administration tries to arrest our workers, the rally in Gujranwala will be held in every street in every city,” he claimed.

“The rulers should show maturity and should not obstruct on the way of people who want to exercise their right to assembly and speech. It is a democratic right to hold a rally,” he said. He said the movement would send selected rulers home.

“All the allied parties will gather with their own processions on the G.T. Road at 10am before leaving for Rawat, from where they will go to Gujranwala for the rally,” he said.

PML-N Divisional President Malik Ibrar said that the caravans will be peaceful.

“If any effort is made to stop the rallies, the workers of opposition parties and the poverty stricken people will come out in every street of every city of Punjab,” he said.

He added: “We will hold public meeting at all cost. The government panicked after seeing the popularity of opposition parties’ stance for their rights and against the present government.”

In response to various questions, Dr Rehman, Mr Abrar and Mr Jadoon, PPP’s Rawalpindi city president, said that there will be meetings all over Punjab if any arrest is made to stop or arrest the PDM leadership or convoys.

“It will be the last nail in the coffin of the government. We will not change our stance despite all the odds, such as the arrests of workers, roadblocks,” Dr Rehman said.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2020