LHC seeks govt reply on petition seeking ban on rallies

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) took up on Monday a writ petition seeking a ban on public gatherings due to a continued surge in coronavirus cases and other Covid-related measures.

An LHC bench issued notices to Punjab’s special health secretary and the Lahore deputy commissioner to furnish their response to the petition by the next hearing.

The petitioner stated before the court that there is a need to ban rallies to halt the spread of the deadly disease.

He demanded that pharmacies at all the hospitals be ordered to stay open round-the-clock. He further requested the court to issue directives for the authorities concerned to ensure presence of senior doctors at coronavirus wards at night and kith and kins of hospitalised Covid-19 patients interact with them through video calls to keep tabs on their health condition.

On December 2, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking court order against the upcoming protest meeting by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Lahore.

A petition filed by Advocate Nadeem Sarwar has made the federal government, NCOC, PDM, PML-N and PPP, parties in the petition. A health emergency has been enforced in the country in the wake of coronavirus, the petition said.

The PDM holding protest rallies despite the government’s ban on large public meetings, which are causing spike in coronavirus cases, according to the petition.

“The PDM leadership is playing with the lives and health of the people,” the petition said.