MULTAN: 30, NOVEMBER, 2020: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will hold its power show at Multan's Qilla Kohna Qasim Bagh as planned on Monday. 

According to details, the opposition had announced to hold a rally at Qasim Bagh in any case while the district administration has full control of Qasim Bagh Stadium.

A vast number of workers have already reached at Gilani House in Multan, who will leave from here for the venue of the public meeting at Qasim Bagh in the form of a rally.

Pakistan Democratic Movement' leadership including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and others are scheduled to address the public meeting. 

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will also address the PDM public meeting in Multan via video link as he is in isolation after being tested for coronavirus.

Provincial government and local administration had denied permission to the opposition parties for the meeting due to rising number of virus infections in the second wave of the COVID-19 in the country.

Earlier on Sunday, Multan police arrested more than 20 workers of the PPP and other parties aligned with the PDM, including Ali Qasim Gilani, the son of ex-premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, after they attempted to remove containers and roadblocks in front of the stadium — the venue for the PDM's fifth power show. 

Multan police and administration blocked the central routes of the Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh stadium and also resealed the route to the stadium with containers whereas party workers left the venue. In the morning, police and district officials emptied the stadium of equipment for the rally and took control of the area.

Security around the stadium was tightened and police contingents were deployed.

Earlier, PDM spokesman Mian Iftikhar Hussain had said that their anti-government movement would not be stopped in the name of coronavirus adding that Opposition rallies will continue and any dialogue will only be held from the platform of PDM, he added. (04)