Punjab govt decides against giving permission to PDM Multan rally: sources

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Sunday chaired a meeting of senior ministers and bureaucrats to devise a strategy regarding the PDM public gathering on November 30, where it was decided against allowing the opposition parties to hold the event, ARY NEWS reported citing sources.

The sources having knowledge of the proceedings of the meeting said that it emerged during the discussion that Multan has a positivity ratio of 12 percent, most in the Punjab province.

“No one should be allowed to become a source of spreading the deadly infection,” the meeting agreed.

It was further briefed during the meeting that arrests made in Multan were not for violating COVID-19 SOPs but rather for taking the law into hand by the activists of the opposition parties.

The district administration and police were directed to take action against anyone violating COVID-19 SOPs, the sources said while detailing the decisions made during the meeting and added that the positivity ratio in Punjab has witnessed a sharp spike after PDM-led Gujranwala public gathering.

Read More: Multan admin devises plan to tackle any emergency situation

Later in a statement, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar blamed the opposition parties for becoming a source of coronavirus emergence in the country at a time when it was about to die down.

The rejected elements in opposition initially spread the virus of corruption and are now bent upon spreading coronavirus, he said adding that the government is least bothered with the PDM’s gatherings, however, they would not allow anyone to play with the lives of masses.

He said that law would take its course of action in case of violation of COVID-19 SOPs.