Petition filed in LHC seeks ban on PDM Lahore rally

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday seeking court order against the upcoming protest meeting by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Lahore, ARY News reported.

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.

Petitioner observed that “the educational institutions have been closed and other gatherings have been banned due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.”

Petitioner asked the court to restrain the PDM from holding a public rally in Lahore and order legal action over violation of the government’s coronavirus SOPs.

The Lahore High Court had dismissed a petition of the same nature by the Young Doctors Association in October seeking court ruling to restrain protest activities by the political parties expected to risk the lives and expose thousands of people to Covid-19 pandemic.