Nov 22 rally in Peshawar: PDM local leaders booked for defying ban

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has lodged cases against the organisers of the November 22 rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PM) in the provincial capital.

The first information report (FIR) was lodged in the Paharipura Police Station against PDM’s local leaders for putting the lives of thousands of people at risk by holding the rally at Amn Chowk despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

The case was lodged a few days ago but it was made public on Sunday, the sources said, adding, no senior leader had been named in the FIR.

The PDM had organised an anti-government rally in Peshawar on November 22 in violation of the ban imposed by the PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

It was addressed by the PDM head Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Ameer Haider Hoti of the Awami National Party (ANP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) leader Aftab Sherpao and others. The rally was part of a series of the public gatherings against the government being staged by the 11-party opposition alliance.

The FIR said that the district administration had refused permission to the organisers for the rally in the wake of the pandemic and high rate of transmission in Peshawar, but the event was organised despite the warning.

The FIR was registered under sections 188 PPC, 15 AA and 17 KP Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Act 2020. Officials said the case was lodged after a marasla (communication) by the authorities concerned. The case also maintained that weapons were brandished during the rally.

The case was lodged against Maulana Miskeen Shah, district head of JUI-F, Rashid Mahmood Daudzai, district president of PML-N, Malik Saeed of PPP, Malik Saleem of QWP, Malik Farhad of ANP and others. The names of the catering staff, sound system staff and electricians have also been mentioned in the FIR.