MULTAN: The opposition leaders, under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), have vowed to hold the Multan rally on Monday (tomorrow) despite the arrest of supporters and strict security arrangements.
“The rally will be held at Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh [stadium] and all workers will be there,” said PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while talking to journalists alongside PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the opposition’s rally in Multan will go ahead as planned and condemned the government’s move to arrest workers of PPP and other opposition parties.
“It seems like the government wants us to march to Islamabad earlier than scheduled (in January 2021) and tell them what they are worth,” he added. The JUI-F Chief also termed the arrest of PDM supporters ‘state terrorism’.
“Our political workers are being arrested from Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan,” the JUI-F chief said, adding, “We wanted the movement to go smoothly, but due to the government’s stupidity, it will now speed up.”
A day earlier, over 30 Opposition workers — including Gilani’s son, Ali Qasim Gilani — had been arrested in a late-night operation by the police to take back the control of the stadium.
Responding to a question about PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz’s attendance, Rana Sanaullah said, “She will attend the rally tomorrow and will break all barriers. Imran Khan has been saying for three years that he won’t spare anyone. Now we won’t spare him.”
On the occasion, Yousaf Raza Gilani informed that Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, daughter of former president Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal’s sister would address the rally as both leaders were unwell.
“I am thankful to the government that they have ensured the rally’s success before it even happened. Imran Khan promised on the floor of the house that he will provide containers and food to the opposition if they want to hold rallies,” he added.
Earlier, workers of the PPP stormed into the stadium in order to set the stage and make arrangements for the opposition’s rally after removing the barriers placed around the venue by the police.
In this regard, a spokesperson for the district administration informed that it has completed arrangements to deal with any emergency situation. “An emergency plan has been prepared on the instructions of the deputy commissioner,” the spokesperson said.
Police had also registered a first information report (FIR) against 80 people, including all four sons of the former premier and local leaders of the PDM who participated in the previous day’s rally to the stadium.
