Govt gives in after creating hurdles, making arrests: PDM holds rally in Multan

MULTAN/LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Monday staged another rally as per plan in Multan, while the government abruptly gave in after creating hurdles by placing containers on routes leading to the meeting venue, making dozens of arrests and booking hundreds of activists.

The PDM leadership was allowed to move on roads in the afternoon after unblocking the city. In a surprise move, Punjab Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani ordered against preventing the PDM leaders from leading rallies in the Multan city. The police chief also ordered removal of all barriers in the way of the opposition workers.

The road leading to the residence of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was sealed from both sides by placing containers. However, the police started removing these containers when big rallies, led separately by Aseefa Bhutto, former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman started coming out from the Gilani House. After moving from Gilani House, the opposition parties turned Chowk Ghanta Ghar into a public meeting venue.

Addressing the rally participants, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced Islamabad march would be held soon after the Lahore public meeting in December. He also announced staging demonstrations at district headquarters on Friday and Sunday against the government crackdown on the opposition workers.

He said the opposition alliance had fulfilled its promise of holding a rally in Multan. He said Monday’s huge public show had thrown out selected Prime Minister Imran Khan out of politics.

The JUI-F chief said the PTI government was hatching a conspiracy to patronise pro-Israel movement in the country. The government had sold out Kashmir and now it was going to sell Palestine and develop diplomatic relations with Israel, he alleged.

The Maulana said the selected were backing pro-Israel agenda in the country. He said the PDM had isolated Imran Khan and now he was visiting the ISI headquarters and other offices for his survival.

Fazl said the PDM agitation had entered the final phase of removal of Imran Khan as the most ineligible and incompetent government had failed to give any relief to masses.

He urged the Supreme Court to take notice of long delay in hearing the PTI foreign funding case.

Fazl criticised the arrest of PDM workers, particularly Ali Qasim Gilani. He said cases were registered against all sons of Gilani. He thanked PPP for inviting the PDM to its foundation day function and hosting a crowded meeting in Multan.

He said that the PDM’s next power show in Lahore on Dec 13 “will be the last nail in the government’s coffin”.

Addressing the rally, Maryam Nawaz said when she entered Multan, the entire city had already been echoing with slogans against Imran Khan. She said that the rally venue was sealed and people of Multan turned the streets and the neighbourhoods of the city into the meeting venue. She said that when the country faces a threat, then its daughters and mothers take to the streets to save it. “Our misfortune is that we have an adversary who is ungracious,” Maryam said, in a veiled reference to the prime minister, whom she also referred to as ‘COVID-18 Imran’ – the country’s “most lethal virus”. She said the public had given their verdict against selected premier Imran Khan, and it would be better for him to leave his office on his own; otherwise people would give their final decision and throw him out. She accused the government of being callous and not informing her timely about her grandmother Begum Shamim Akhtar’s passing away. She was at a rally in Peshawar that day and said there were no mobile signals. Maryam said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s family was not able to offer his funeral prayers after he was hanged. “Akbar Bugti was killed and his family members were not allowed to attend his funeral.” About Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, she claimed that her killers were “facilitated” and “sent abroad”. Maryam said that her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, told her to go to the people of Multan as the family’s grief pales in comparison to that of the people.

Relating people’s hardship due to price-hike and government’s anti-people policies, Maryam said: “We know the grief of losing a job. We realise that you are saddened by a cold stove [due to low gas pressures].”

She said the rising cost of electricity and gas was bringing sorrows to people’s homes.

Referring to Firdous Ashiq Awan’s remarks about Nawaz Sharif having “parcelled” his mother’s body to Pakistan, she retorted: “My father was not playing county cricket in London.”

Accompanied by Marriyum Aurangzeb, Maryam Nawaz reached Multan. Her convoy was hampered by the flood of people surrounding her vehicle. Both stood on the roof of the car as it crawled towards the destination.

Earlier, while talking to the media before leaving Lahore for Multan, Maryam Nawaz told the media that a decisive moment had arrived to send the incompetent government packing.

She said arrests and use of force could not stop people from joining the PDM movement. “The government ministers are openly violating SOPs of coronavirus across the country,” she said, adding that Jamaat-i-Islami and the ruling PTI were holding rallies and conventions, but coronavirus was not spreading. “Are all the SOPs of COVID-19 for the opposition only,” she asked.

She said COVID-19 would eventually go away, but the people of Pakistan would have to throw away “COVID-18” from the country.

She said she had been sent to jail twice without committing any crime, and she was ready for being arrested by the government for the third time. “The PDM jalsa will take place at all costs,” she said, adding that it did not matter the jalsa would be held at Qasim Bagh stadium or outside the stadium.

Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari’s daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari also delivered her maiden speech at the Multan rally. Emotional scenes were witnessed at the PDM meeting when Aseefa delivered a few words of her speech. Many PPP workers were seen recalling Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto with tears rolling down their eyes.

She said the selected rulers would have to go sooner or later. She said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had laid the foundations of the PPP for masses and their welfare. She said she was speaking to the public as representative of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who was in isolation after being affected by coronavirus. She appealed to the PPP workers for promoting and strengthening Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The PPP jiyalas gave overwhelming response to Aseefa Bhutto on her arrival in Multan and her first address to the party workers. She said the selected rulers had failed to deliver. She said those who think the opposition would be cowed down were mistaken.

Aseefa said masses had announced their verdict that selected Prime Minister Imran Khan would have to “pack up and leave”. She said Benazir Bhutto had carried on her father’s mission to establish a welfare state. Former president Asif Zardari introduced the 18th Amendment and Benazir Income Support Programme and fought for the people’s rights, she said. She promised to continue their mission and not to back down. “If they are thinking we are afraid of arrests, they are mistaken. If they would arrest our brothers, they should know that every woman of the PPP was ready to take up the struggle,” she said.

Despite the cruelty and oppression of the selected [government], so many of you have gathered here. This selected [government] will have to go!” she said, as she joined PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and JUI-F and movement president Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other bigwigs of the 11-party anti-government alliance.

Clad in same shawl that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto was used to wear with Multani ajrak, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari made her first public speech that was described as brief, composed and targeted.

Aseefa congratulated the party activists on the 53rd Founding Day of Pakistan People’s Party.

PPP Senior Vice Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani said the PDM had successfully held a mammoth gathering in Multan. He said PPP founder Zulfikar Bhutto always greatly loved the Seraiki region. He said the PTI government deceived Seraiki people in the name of a province.

He addressed the gathering at Ghanta Ghar Chowk and said that PDM had held massive rallies in Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar.

“I would like to thank the government for providing us with containers,” he said, referring to PM Imran Khan’s promise of providing containers and food to the opposition if they wish to hold demonstrations.

Gilani said that the PPP, in their bid to empower the people of south Punjab, had given key government positions to them, including the prime minister, foreign minister, governor, among others.

“[South Punjab] needs to be converted into a separate province as it is necessary for its development,” he said.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Mehmood Khan Achakzai, while speaking at the public meeting, said that PDM was not created to speak against anyone. The alliance’s purpose, he insisted, was to ensure that intelligence agencies and armed institutions should not interfere in political matters.

He warned that “dangerous blocs” were being created around Pakistan and warned that the country may be bombed by foreign forces just like Iran’s scientist and military general were slain. The solution, he said, was that the incumbent assembly be dismantled. Awami National Party’s Mian Iftikhar also addressed the public meeting.

Separately, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said that PDM was committed to following standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the public meeting at Fort Qasim Stadium.

Addressing a press conference, he said the PML-N had prepared one lakh masks and some sanitizing gates for participants of the meeting. A fire was seen in the backdrop, near the Ghanta Ghar Chowk, as Maryam spoke. It was unclear what had caused the fire to erupt.