Another case was lodged against the PDM leaders, especially those from the PML-N for being the host party, as they had been accused of damaging the facilities and infrastructure at the Greater Iqbal Park, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.
It was the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) security in-charge who filed an application with the Lorry Adda Police Station to get the last FIR registered. Just like other similar facilities in the city, the PHA also looks after the Greater Iqbal Park where the Minar-e-Pakistan is located.
The most prominent name mentioned in the FIR is that of Maryam Nawaz – the PML-N vice-president. Meanwhile, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and 200 baton-wielding party workers are also among the nominated persons.
Apart from the charge of damaging the facilities at the Greater Iqbal Park, the violation of coronavirus SOPs is also one of the charges noted in the FIR. It is a continuation of the previous cases registered against the PML-N leaders and workers as a result of the mass mobilisation campaign led by Maryam in connection with the PDM’s public gathering organised on Sunday.
Earlier, dozens of cases were lodged with different police stations as Maryam held to two rallies last week in Lahore. Violating the coronavirus SOPs [Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Ordinance], The Punjab Sound Systems (Regulations) Act and impeding traffic flow were the main charges mentioned in those FIRs as well.
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Separately, the PHA also sent a notice to the PDM leaders for paying around Rs10 million for allegedly damaging physical structure and horticulture at the park.
The notice sent to PML-N leaders Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed and Samiullah Khan via a courier service mentions a fine of Rs7.1 million in connection of the damaged structure and Rs2.6 million with reference to horticulture.
The tensions are soaring between the government and the Opposition parties as PDM Chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday gave the rulers January 31 deadline to resign.
Speaking to the media after a meeting of the PDM member parties in Lahore, Fazl said the PDM would announce a date for the long march on February 1 if the rulers do not resign by January 31. He said that some dictator-minded people were trying to make the national media a slave. He once again accused the institutions of interfering in political affairs of the country and warned them against doing so.
Fazl asked PDM workers to start preparations for the long march. He said that provinces had already been given the schedule for the long march. Referring to PDM’s Lahore rally on December 13, Fazl said it was unprecedented.
Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz said she would salute her party leaders and workers with both hands for making the Lahore rally a huge success. She said the Lahore rally was so mammoth that some people had to stand on the roads outside the Minar-e-Pakistan Ground due to overcrowding. She said that former prime minister and PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reached the venue of the anti-government gathering by a motorcycle due to the huge traffic on the roads leading to the protest venue.
The PML-N vice president accused some TV channels of showing bias towards the PDM rally and hiding its massiveness. She however said that foreign media outlets like Al-Jazeera and BBC showed the truth. She said that some news channels started propaganda against the anti-government rally even before she left her home for the rally. She warned these TV channels against indulging in such practices.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that all decisions would be made at the PDM platform. He said that time for talks was over. Now it’s time for a long march and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation, Bilawal said.