Ministers advise opposition against holding rallies

ISLAMABAD: Three federal ministers on Saturday issued different advisories to the opposition, with one advising it to delay their movement owing to the coronavirus epidemic; one warning of a crackdown and one reminding the opposition to remain within the confines of the law.

“There may be (a) crackdown, there may be corona, there may be incidents of terrorism,” Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid said in his now customary Saturday press conference, Geo News reported.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan gave a “befitting” reply to the opposition in his speech on Friday to the Insaf Lawyer's Forum. He noted that Imran Khan has said categorically that he will not give any NRO to opposition leaders.

The minister claimed that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the platform on which opposition parties have gathered to oust the government, is moving towards a “politics of violence”.

Hitting out at PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shaikh Rashid alleged that the JUI-F leader was a “respectable man” but wanted to play the religion card. He added that the Maulana has been "used all his life for the religious card".

The minister also claimed that the next four months were “very important”, adding that the Army was standing behind the democratic government.

“The Pakistan Army stands behind the civilian government so that no man can take out WikiLeaks, DawnLeaks or any other leaks,” Shaikh Rashid said.

Talking about rumours about the arrest of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, Shaikh Rashid said that he did not have any knowledge about it. He added that the police should investigate the treason cases against PML-N leaders, and may release the ones who are found 'not guilty'.

The minister reiterated that Imran Khan did not have any knowledge about the sedition case against PML-N leaders, saying that "it happened at a very low level”.

Talking about the PPP, Shaikh Rashid claimed that the party will not resign from its seats in the National Assembly. He said that if the party resigns from Sindh, it will lose its majority in that province as well.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar separately said that no one will be allowed to break the law in the name of democracy.

The minister, in a conversation with media representatives, said the government’s policy was clear on the opposition’s public gatherings, adding that the opposition may do whatever it wants within the ambit of the law. “Our policy is to abide by the law,” said Asad Umar. He added that due to the coronavirus, all political parties should avoid gatherings.

Separately, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, citing fears of a second wave of coronavirus, 'advised' opposition parties to postpone their scheduled political rallies and sit-ins till next year.

The minister, in a tweet, noted that the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) because of the second wave of coronavirus and had asked for restrictions on weddings and other large gatherings.