RAWALPINDI: A rally was brought out by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on the call of JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to protest the government action against opposition workers.

More than 300 workers of PML-N, PPP and JUI-F along with other parties gathered in front of Jamia Islamia Mosque in Kamran Market, Saddar, and walked towards Rawalpindi Press Club. They were chanting slogans and holding party flags. The protesters vowed to make the PDM’s Lahore public meeting on Dec 13 successful.

During a public meeting in Multan, Mr Rehman had announced to stage demonstrations in all the district headquarters on Friday and Sunday against the government’s crackdown on opposition workers.

The rally ended peacefully but an FIR was registered against the local PDM leadership, including members of the JUI-F and PML-N, along with 150 workers of different parties, for violation of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). The Cantonment police registered the FIR against 12 PDM leaders and 150 political workers.

The PDM leaders nominated in the FIR included Ameer of JUI Rawalpindi, Dr Ziaur Rehman, PML-N divisional president; Malik Ibrar, PML-N metropolitan head, and former mayor of Rawalpindi Sardar Nassem.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of sanitation health inspector Hamid Mehmood,in which he said the participants of the rally violated the SOPs.

But PDM leaders condemned the police action and said holding such demonstrations was a democratic right of the people.

Talking to 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.

PPP City President Babar Jadoon said registration of FIRs against opposition workers was a condemnable act

The PTI staged a 126-day sit-in but now that members of the opposition are exercising their rights, they are maltreated, he added.

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.

People are facing inflation, energy crisis and unemployment due to the government’s incompetence, said the speakers, adding PTI had made claims of improving the country’s economy and providing people with shelter and other facilities within the first 100 days of its government but it failed. They said the days of the government were numbered.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2020