PML-N denied permission for Mansehra rally due to coronavirus

MANSEHRA: The district administration on Tuesday asked PML-N to follow its order and not hold a public meeting, warning the party that if it goes ahead with it then it would be breaching the law, reported The News.

“In light of current alarming situation of coronavirus in the district where its positivity ratio has jumped to highest ever 9%, holding of public gathering may be an open initiative to spread this pandemic,” Dr Qasim Ali Khan, the deputy commissioner told the PML-N’s local officer-bearers.

The PML-N was scheduled to hold a rally in the district today.

The meeting was also attended by PML-N’s district president Zafar Mahmood and District Police Officer Sadiq Baloch.

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Dr Qasim Ali Khan informed the PML-N leaders that his office could not allow them to hold the public meeting due to the current situation where coronavirus was rapidly spreading. He made it clear that the district administration has not granted the PML-N permission to hold the public gathering.

“If this gathering is organised, it would be considered as illegal and subsequently no security and traffic measures would be put in place,” said the DC.

On the other hand, the PML-N delegation informed the DC that the district administration should have informed them at least three days earlier.

“Now all preparations have been finalised and the rally can’t be postponed,” said the party.

Meanwhile, PML-N Senior Vice President Sardar Mohammad Yousaf has also warned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government against any “misadventure” of creating hurdles in the way of the public gathering.

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“We would thwart any misadventure if carried out by the government to restrict our historic gathering here for which all the necessary preparations are already finalised,” Yousaf told reporters.

Jhagra asks PML-N to ‘show leadership’

Provincial Health Minister Taimur Jhagra urged the PML-N to stop it’s gathering and urged them to show leadership and not put “lives and the economy at risk”.

“Stop! We are better than this! Let's show leadership, not put lives and the economy at risk,” said Jhagra in a tweet. He added that all coronavirus indicators in KP show a 4-5 times increase; 200 cases; three deaths; 9% positivity rate.

“Tomorrow PML-N going ahead with a superspreader jalsa in Mansehra; KP's 2nd worst affected district,” said the minister.