MULTAN: A large number of opposition activists, mostly from the PPP and the PML-N, removed all the barricades and entered the Qasim Bagh Stadium after breaking locks at multiple gates on Saturday afternoon, where the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has planned a rally.
Led by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s sons Ali Musa and Ali Haider, the opposition workers first removed the containers using a crane and then other barricades as police failed to stop the charged crowd.
Some policemen opted to leave the area as the opposition members entered the stadium where they will make preparations for the November 30 public gathering.
The jiyalas vowed to stay inside the stadium until the rally is over on Monday.
The development came as the district administration said they would not allow any gathering of more than 300 persons.
However, there were well over 1,000 opposition activists carrying PPP and PML-N flags on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers in absentia were also offered in the stadium for late Begum Shamim Akhtar – the mother of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.
On the other hand, police in Kahror Pakka – a town in Lodhran district – registered a case against PML-N MNA Abdul Rehman Kanju for organising a workers’ convention on Friday.
According to police, they are conducting raids and will soon arrest the nominated persons who are accused of violating the coronavirus SOPs.
But Kanju, in his reaction, said the PTI government had panicked, adding that the public meeting would be held at every cost.
Earlier in the day, the police reported that although the government was using every available tool to stop the event which corresponds with the PPP’s foundation day, the opposition would go ahead with the plan to hold the rally.
Although the city’s main road is being closed and barricades placed everywhere, it has been decided that 3,000 members of Ansar-ul-Islam – a sister organisation of JUI-F – will perform the security duties at Qasim Bagh Stadium, the venue selected for the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) rally.
The public gathering will mark the appearance of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari in the political arena as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto could not participate in person for being in isolation after getting infected by the coronavirus. Instead, he will address the crowd via a video link.
In this way, the main attraction of the day would be two women – Aseefa and Maryam Nawaz.
The PML-N vice-president had announced the other day that she would attend the event despite the demise of her grandmother Begum Shamim Akhtar.
In this connection, she told media persons in Lahore that Nawaz Sharif, the party supremo, directed her for the purpose.
As far as the steps taken by the government are concerned, it is the containers that have been placed around the Qasim Bagh Stadium to contain the opposition. The move came after the police requested for 60 containers for the purpose.
The people, however, are facing great hardships as a result of the closure of this main thoroughfare.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Kasim Gillani retweeted that says that the administration has started blocking all the entry points of the city and poured water in Qasim Bagh Stadium. “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION,” Kasim said in the caption of his retweet.
But it is not just Multan where the administration is taking measures as transporters in Rahim Yar Khan have stopped their service under severe pressure.
That’s why they have started returning the advance to the intending passengers for Multan.
Reacting to the development, the PML-N district president, Mian Imtiaz, claimed that the transporters were threatened that their vehicles would be impounded to stop them running their service for southern Punjab’s main city.
He, however, said that the administration won’t be able to sabotage the ally no matter what steps they were going to take.
Meanwhile, the schedule released by the PDM says the rally will start 1pm with the provincial leaders’ speeches. Later, the central leaders of the component parties are going to deliver their addresses at 3pm with JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to speak after sunset (Maghrib prayers).
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