Gilani’s sons among over a dozen PDM workers nabbed

MULTAN: Police have arrested more than a dozen workers of the PDM including former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani’s sons on staging a motorcycle rally Wednesday.

The arrested workers include: Ali Musa Gilani, Arif Shah, Ch Muhammad Hussain, Abdul Qadir Gilani, councillor Tasnim Khan, Jamal Khizri, Ishtiaq Shah Bokhari, Suhail Iqbal and others. The PDM workers staged a bike rally in front of the Lohari Gate Police Station, where they were put under lock-up. On the other hand, the PML-N held an emergency meeting chaired by its district president Bilal Butt, which condemned the workers arrest. Chaos gripped the city Wednesday when the administration and police strictly restricted Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) motorcycle rally as a preventive measure against deadly second wave of COVID-19 but allowed a big rally of the PTI to freely move on roads and also pass through busy roads.

The PDM had announced a motorcycle rally led by Ali Musa Gilani from Nawansher Chowk but police sealed the venue, placed barriers, tractors at all the four roads leading to Nawansher Chowk. All types of traffic were diverted to other roads, which jammed the whole city. Traffic mess continued for 6 to 8 hours and citizens faced great inconvenience while travelling on roads.

The situation of allowing the PTI rally and disallowing the PDM rally infuriated the latter’s workers and they took out a big rally led by Abdul Qadir Gilani, Ali Qasim Gilani, Ali Musa Gilani and Ali Haider Gilani. They damaged and removed all the obstacles and the rally started moving on roads. Ali Musa Gilani tore and burnt the copy of FIR registered against him.

In a fiery tone he announced that ‘selected rulers’ won’t allow the PDM meeting at Qila Qasim Bagh on November 30. “We are fighting for people’s rights, against inflation and joblessness and continuing our struggle against the most unpopular rulers in country’s history,” he added. Gilani said police registered a fake FIR against him but he would get bail from the court.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak rejected the PDM application seeking grant of permission to take out motorcycle rally Wednesday.

Multan division PPP general secretary ex-MPA Dr Javed Siddiqui and divisional information secretary Salim Raja had filed an application with DC seeking grant of permission to take out motorcycle rally from Nawansher Chowk on November 25.

The DC rejected the application due to the critical second wave of COVID-19. He wrote in his orders that corona cases were increasing rapidly. The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has banned all types of rallies, gatherings to avoid corona cases.

On the other hand, the administration allowed a big rally of the PTI leader Rana Abdul Jabbar, which travelled 10 to 12 km on city roads. Earlier, the Punjab government appointed Rana Abdul Jabbar as chairman of the Multan Development Authority (MDA). Later, he was dismissed on alleged corruption complaints. The Punjab government reinstated him as MDA chairman a couple of days ago.

Rana Abdul Jabbar organised a big rally from his house to MDA offices to resume his chairman office. His rally passed through busy roads and finally reached the MDA offices after travelling 10 to 12 km.

Earlier, Lohari Gate police registered a case against 30 leaders of the PDM on breaking Qila Qasim Bagh Stadium gate lock, where the PDM has scheduled a meeting on November 30, police said. The FIR was registered in the wee hours of Wednesday. Police registered FIR no 785/20 under Sections 506, 379, 353, 186, 148 and 149 PPC. Lohari Gate police said the district sports officer Adnan Naeem had lodged a complaint stating that ex-MNA Abdul Qadir Gilani, ex-MPAs Dr Javed Siddiqui, PPP’s leader Ali Qasim Gilani, ex-MNA Sh Tariq Rashid of the PML-N and 20 to 25 unidentified persons including five armed persons forcibly unlocked stadium gate no 1.

The complainant said the accused demanded him opening the gates but he refused due to lack of official permission with them. The accused unlocked the gate, broke the iron chain and took away the lock and chain, the complainant said.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the government is scared of the PDM rallies as the arrest of Musa Gilani in the run up to the PDM’s Multan rally shows regime is scared.

He said this Wednesday while condemning the arrest of PPP leader Musa Gilani through his twitter account and stated that they know people stand with democracy not with selected government. He said such tactics will not deter us. “Protest is our democratic right and we will do so on November 30 come what may,” he added.

Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the spokesperson of PPP chairman said the selected government is taking its last breath and that is why registered a false case against Abdul Qadir Gilani in Multan.

He said the government’s defeat is apparent from its efforts to stop PDM’s public gathering in Multan. “Now the puppet government has fallen so low that cases are being registered against the PPP leaders of stealing locks and chains,” he added. He said soon the government will start registering cases of buffalo and goat stealing against the political workers.

He said no one should have any doubt that the public gathering of PDM will be held at all cost. “The government which has stolen sugar, flour and votes cannot frighten the political workers by initiating bogus cases against them,” he added.