Opposition should postpone protest owing to Covid-19 pandemic: govt

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday urged the opposition parties to postpone their protest owing to the second wave of the novel coronavirus in the country, a private TV channel reported. Talking to journalists in Multan, FM Qureshi underscored the need for adopting precautionary measures to keep the people safe from the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no threat to democracy or the government from the opposition’s rallies, he said and added that there was no unity in the ranks of the opposition. FM Qureshi urged the opposition to review their decision to keep the people safe from the COVID-19. The foreign minister termed the protest a tactic to divert people’s attention from the ongoing accountably process in the country. He asked the opposition to refrain from carrying out the agenda of the enemies by creating instability in the country. FM Qureshi urged the masses to take notice of the opposition’s behavior. Earlier on October 9, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had said that all the opposition leaders had gathered at one platform to save their corruption. Addressing the seminar of PTI Lawyers Forum in Islamabad, he had said that opposition parties had only one agenda to halt the process of accountability. “They do not believe in rule of law in the country.” PM Imran Khan had said he would not come under pressure tactics of the opposition parties and vowed to continue the accountability process. Former president Pervez Musharraf after succumbing to pressure gave NRO to both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party, PM Khan had claimed. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday called on political parties to be “responsible” and postpone rallies and processions for three months amid fears of a second Covid-19 wave in the country. In a message on Twitter, Chaudhry said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) in anticipation of a second wave of the coronavirus, directing that gatherings of people in wedding ceremonies and other events be reduced. “I believe political parties should give proof of responsibility and postpone rallies and processions for the next three months. The opposition should also postpone its movement till next year and respect life,” he tweeted. On Friday, the NCOC proposed restrictions on large-scale public gatherings and issued fresh guidelines for marriage halls after the country saw a rise in Covid-19 infections in recent weeks. According to officials privy to the development, the NCOC pointed out that large-scale public gatherings were prohibited in most countries as they had the potential to cause an exponential increase in infections. They said these gatherings should ideally not take place at all, but if unavoidable, must be organised with strict compliance with the SOPs for which deliberations were under way. Health experts also apprised the forum of the pattern and prevalence of a possible second wave in the world, particularly in the region. Meanwhile, the opposition’s alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), announced last week it would formally launch its anti-government campaign with a public meeting in Gujranwala on Oct 16. The PDM’s steering committee at its meeting on Monday released a schedule of six public meetings in the four provinces as part of the first phase of its movement in line with decisions taken at the Sept 20 multiparty conference (MPC) in Islamabad. According to PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, convener of the PDM’s steering committee, the PDM would hold its second public meeting in Karachi on Oct 18, third in Quetta on Oct 25, fourth in Peshawar on Nov 22, fifth in Multan on Nov 30 and the last one in Lahore on Dec 13. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that Prime Minister Imran Khan got on the nerves of opposition parties and they would have to return the looted money besides answering the country’s economic devastation by them. “Those who have looted the national exchequer were worried because of Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he tweeted. Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who claimed for rule of law, should ask his uncle Nawaz Sharif to appear before the court to ensure rule of law, he added. The minister said former President Asif Ali Zardari pretended illness during his opposition days and became all right during days in the government. Pakistan Peoples’ Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the representative of those who played havoc with the country, he said, adding Bilawal and his father had the distinction of squeezing the PPP into a regional party. The people who stashed money and dumped it in Swiss accounts and built Surrey Palace were surprisingly addressing the lawyers’ community, he added. Meanwhile in another tweet, the minister said the awful face of India was being exposed before the world with each passing day. He said an American magazine had recently stamped the veracity of Indian state’s terrorism and extremism, which was dangerous for peace and tranquility of the entire region. India was being portrayed as guardian of terrorism in the world, he added.