PDM, KP govt face-off over Peshawar rally
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday denied permission to Pakistan Democratic Movement to hold a public gathering in Peshawar on November 22. The notification said the matter was considered by the district administration and capital city police under Section 14 of the KP Civil Administration Act 2020. The government officials did a field assessment and held a meeting with the jalsa organisers.
But, citing a November 2 notification issued by the KP government banning large public gatherings owing to the rising coronavirus positivity rate in the community, the deputy commissioner denied permission to hold the jalsa "after considering all aspects, and to safeguard human lives due to potential spread of COVID-19."
Its media coordinator, Abdul Jalil Jan, says the PDM rally will be held as planned on November 22. He said the party will not tolerate any sort of ban from the Peshawar district administration. Jan said holding the rally is their fundamental right under the
Constitution and law. Peshawar's deputy commissioner (DC) on Friday refused to grant permission for a public meeting planned by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), citing the rising spread of the novel coronavirus in the district.
The opposition alliance had sought permission to hold a public meeting on Peshawar's Dalazak Road, Ring Road Chowk earlier this month. A letter issued by the DC's office today noted that the coronavirus positivity rate in Peshawar district had exceeded 13 per cent, adding that a public gathering "is likely to further increase the spread of life-threatening virus".
The letter went on to say that in order to "safeguard human lives [from the] potential spread of Covid-19", the public gathering cannot be allowed to take place. It also cited a notification issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on November 2, which said that "ceremonies and other gatherings shall be avoided" in order to curb the spread of the virus. Responding to the Peshawar administration's decision, PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter's spokesperson
Ikhtiar Wali said that the opposition alliance will go ahead with the public meeting. In a statement to DawnNewsTV, Wali said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had held a public meeting in Swat last week and another gathering was held by KP chief minister two days before that.
"Who did they ask for permission? And who granted them permission? So if there is no rule for the ruling party, then why is [there one] for us?" he said. Wali further said that the administration had warned that it will take action if a gathering is held, adding that "we are ready to face it"."Your (administration) role is that of the city's guardian, fulfill it. We are political people, we are ready to face it. This will not be a new thing, we are prepared for it," he said. PPP leader Nafeesa Shah, in a press conference, declared that "selected [government] was now using new tactics".
She said that the government that previously considered coronavirus as nothing but flu was now using it as an excuse to stop the opposition from holding the gathering. She insisted that all arrangements had been made to ensure that standard operating procedures were followed. "This government is doing corona engineering, it should stop," she said. Precautionary measures to curb the virus' spread were not observed in any of the previous PDM rallies, which have so far been held in Gujranwala, Karachi and Quetta. KP chief minister's aide Kamran Bangash tweeted the DC's letter and said: "[Positivity] rate of coronavirus cases in Peshawar has reached 13pc. Be sensible."
Information Minister Shibli Faraz also urged the opposition to "be sensible" and said: "Coronavirus pandemic is a global reality, it is not an innovation of someone's mind. Court decision has also been issued, opposition should be sensible and should not be an enemy of the public. Protection of public's health is our foremost priority. If God forbid, precious lives are lost, opposition leaders and the organisers of public meetings will be responsible."
The PDM has planned a public rally in the provincial capital on Sunday, where Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari and other opposition leaders are likely to deliver speeches.