LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) has turned a petition to bar Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from holding its political power show scheduled to be held on December 13 at Minar-e-Pakistan.
Justice Jawad Hassan has issued a 16-page verdict on the petition that has sought a direction to the government to restrain the political parties from arranging public gathering in Lahore.
“The Petitioners submit that the Respondents-State Functionaries are not strictly adhering to the relevant W.P. No.64211 of 2020 – 2 – provisions of the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Act, 2020 (“the Act 2020”) while allowing the said gathering of one hundred thousand or more persons in the peak of the Pandemic Covid-19 (Corona Virus) in Pakistan, which would adversely affect not only the lives of Petitioners along with all the persons participating in the said gathering and the civil administration controlling such gathering,” read the ruling.
2020 Lhc 3100 by Mehar Mahmood Idrees on Scribd
The court has directed the Provincial Intelligence Committee (PIC) to decide the matter about the PDM’s public gathering within two days.
It remarked that the court could not interfere in government’s policy.
The IHC in its verdict has directed all political parties and their workers to strictly comply with COVID-19 SOPs.
It also directed all relevant departments to ensure the implementation of directives issued by the National Command Operation Centre, a body set up by the government to handle COVID-19 situation.
