MULTAN:The 11-party anti-government alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), on Monday held its fifth power show in Multan’s Ghanta Ghar Chowk area despite arrests and barricades.
The public gathering venue was changed amid arrests and blockages made tbe PTI government. The original venue of the PDM show was Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh stadium. It was changed as the local administration had denied permission to the opposition parties for the public gathering due to increasing covid cases in the country.
A fire also erupted in a building near Multan’s Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh Stadium today, which was one km away from the PDM public gathering. Fire fighters rushed the site to douse the fire. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained immediately. No casualties were reported so far.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Yousuf Raza Gilani and other political leaders attended the PDM show.
Speaking on the occasion, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari said that the public had given its verdict and the selected will have to go now. She said that she had joined the anti-government show as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was suffering from coronavirus.
Aseefa said that the people had decided that PM Imran Khan to pack up and leave now. Aseefa said that you will support Chairman Bilawal on PDM’s platform and she will also support him and you at every step. She said that despite the barricades of the selected government, so many of people had gathered in Multan.
Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz said the PTI government was using Covid-19 as an excuse to disturb PDM movement, but it did want to impose lockdown to control coronavirus but wanted to control opposition parties.
She said that the PT government was a bigger threat than coronavirus whihc had destroyed the country’s economy and snatched people’s livelihood.
Ex-premier Yousaf Raza Gillani told the gathering that the PTI government did not let PDM prepare for the rally as there was no proper civic and security arrangement. He said that the PTI government had failed to deliver.
On Sunday, the Multan administration took control of Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh stadium and arrested several PDM leaders and workers including Kasim Gillani, the son of Yousaf Raza Gillani, when they they stormed into the venue by removing barriers.
Multan police and administration blocked the central routes of the Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh stadium and removed the tents, chairs and other equipment from the venue of the PDM rally besides deploying additional contingents of security officials.