by Shahab Omer in Pakistan Today, Dec 11, 2020
LAHORE: As the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is preparing for its December 13 jalsa in Lahore, the Punjab Police has also formulated its strategy for the rally, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday.
Some of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders who were already nominated in various cases would be arrested before the PDM rally and the entrances to the provincial capital would also be closed a day before the meeting.
Furthermore, it is alleged that the strategy to stop the workers coming to Lahore from other districts was also in the final stages.
There is a threat of terrorism during the Lahore rally and a threat alert has already been issued.
The Punjab Police had alerted the PML-N leaders, including Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Punjab President Rana Sanaullah, about the threat of a possible attack on the PDM jalsa and requested the PDM leadership to cancel the rally.
The police had issued strict security instructions to Maryam and Sanaullah in case of a non-cancellation, including the use of bulletproof cars.
PML-N spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that he would provide containers on the protest of the opposition while their workers were being arrested.
“If the workers react to such actions, the Punjab government and Imran Khan will be responsible. The government states on a daily basis that it will not stop the meeting, but our workers are being arrested,” she said.
“Imran Khan’s competition is not with PDM but with DJ Butt,” she taunted, adding that: “If the government registers an FIR [first information report] against us, we will frame it and put it in houses.”
The government has lost the psychological and democratic war, she claimed.
“The PDM will hold the Jalsa on December 13 at Minar e Pakistan Ground and the people will get rid of flour, sugar and vote thieves,” she concluded.
Meanwhile DJ Butt, who became famous after providing sound system for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) 2014 sit-in in Islamabad, has been released on bail by the Punjab Police following court orders.
“I am still Imran Khan’s tiger. I have a license for the weapons recovered from me,” he said after being released on bail at a bond of Rs50,000.
It is pertinent to mention here that the police had arrested DJ Butt from his house yesterday and he was charged with possession of illegal weapons. He was also charged with interfering in government affairs, colluding with the police and possessing an illegal rifle.
The 11 parties of PDM have been protesting against the government with the first rally having taken place in Gujranwala, the second in Karachi, third in Quetta and fourth in Multan.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/12/10/punjab-police-prepares-strategy-for-pdm-jalsa/
