Government Hits Back at Pakistan Democratic Movement

On Monday, the current government of Pakistan took to attacking the opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The opposition was accused of being ‘corrupt’ leaders, who are carrying out large rallies only to save their ill-gotten wealth. The government called them out for holding rallies, as the second wave of the coronavirus hits the country, causing loss of lives and livelihood. 

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan stated that the leaders of the PDM were ignoring the standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by the government. In his opinion, they are purposefully bulldozing these guidelines and preventing the stem of this deadly contagion. 

Various federal ministers also made sure to clap back at the latest rally held by the PDM. They were very much angered by the critical speeches given by the leaders of the opposition on the day of the event. In their opinion, the politicians were only protecting the corruption of their leaders. 

On Monday, the PDM organized a rally in Multan to openly defy the restrictions placed by the government on large public gatherings, owing to the threat of the virus. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) made sure to uphold the measures due to the rising cases of the coronavirus across the country. 

The Prime Minister was talking to Babar Awan, the Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs, when he said that the same people who wanted complete lockdowns are now flouting coronavirus SOPs. 

During this meeting, the premier stressed that the first and foremost priority of the government is to save lives during this pandemic. He then added that the next priority is to ensure a stable economy. 

Shibli Faraz, the Information Minister Senator, said that all those PDM leaders who had previously been involved in money laundering and corruption cases, cannot fool the citizens of the country. He added that the majority of the people have rejected Fazlur Rehman, the chief of PDM, and many other leaders, for not showing up to the rallies. 

In Faraz’s opinion, it it’s the immaturity of the opposition that they held a public gathering in Multan to defy the government ban. He said that the rally proved that the PDM has no interest in the health issues of the people as the coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country. 

The minister also revealed that the government had made several efforts to have the opposition alliance postpone their public meeting. However, the rally went on as per schedule, and a total disregard for standard operating procedures was shown. Faraz called out PDM and its leaders for putting the lives of numerous innocent people at risk. 

He informed that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had been formed as a federal party. But the former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, made it into a regional party of the province of Sindh. Additionally, the minister assured the public that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will not abandon office and continue to work hard in their tenure. 

Several ministers such as Fawad Chaudhry, the minister for Science and Technology, later backed up the views of Senator Shibli Faraz.