In an attempt to sabotage the PDM rally planned in Lahore on December 13, the government on Tuesday employed the decades-old formula and watered the Greater Iqbal Park where the Minar-e-Pakistan is located, 24NewsHD TV channel.
And just a few hours later, Firdous Ashiq Awan – special assistant to the Punjab chief minister – claimed at a press conference in Lahore that the government won’t create any hurdles in holding the event.
When a reporter asked her about pumping water into the ground, Awan described it as something negligible and asserted that law would come into action if the coronavirus SOPs were violated.
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But she did not stop there and went on to say that they would not allow anyone to become a political martyr. Many PML-N lawmakers were tired of the party leadership and were in contact with the ruling PTI, Awan claimed.
Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Pervaiz Rashid, reacting to the move, said a hand full of water was enough to die of shame for the rulers afraid of a rally.
On the other hand, PML-N leaders, including Bilal Yasin, visited the site for finalising the arrangements for the showdown.
As part of the alternate plans, 24NewsHD reported last week, the opposition alliance had already started thinking about using Taxali Gate as a substitute venue in case the government did not allow them to organise the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan.
It is believed that it would be easier for the people and party workers to reach the Taxali Gate from every direction if barricades are installed around Minar-e-Pakistan.
But it is not just watered ground at the Minar-e-Pakistan, as the cases are also being registered against the active PML-N leaders and workers active.
On Monday and Tuesday, several FIRs were registered after PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz toured the parts of Lahore to mobilise people for the December 13 rally.
One of these cases was registered in Shahdara on the complaint of a patwari in which a total of four five MNAs and four MPAs were nominated.
Malik Riaz, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Talal Chaudhry and Waseem Khokhar are among those accused of violating the coronavirus SOPs and The Punjab Sound Systems (Regulations) Act as well as delivering speeches to incite people.
Meanwhile, the officials at Misri Shah Police Station four more FIRs against Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman and over 500 other party leaders and workers under similar charges.
The move came after over 150 local PML-N leaders and workers were booked for holding the rally by the Misri Shah Police Station officials.
But the PML-N vice-president on Tuesday morning made it that they were not afraid of cases as so many FIRs had been registered against them. The entire world witnessed how Lahore came out and welcomed her during the yesterday rally, Maryam added.