ISLAMABAD – Authorities have imposed section 144 in the federal capital for two months, banning rallies and public gatherings, as Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is planning to hold a long march against the PTI government.
Under new restrictions, the city administration as a whole has imposed a ban on nine activities.
Besides rallies and public gatherings, the administration has banned stone blasting, sale of inciting material, display of weapons, trade of fireworks, wall chalking, unnecessary use of loud speaker and publicity of illegal housing schemes.
PDM, an alliance of 11 opposition parties, have planned to stage a long march against the government after its Lahore showdown scheduled to be held on December 13 despite warnings by the authorities.
Earlier today, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PDM will hold a historic long march as it would be biggest one country’s history.
The opposition parties are struggling to oust the government over what they claim election rigging, inflation and poor governance.
However, the government wants the PDM to postpone their political activities for two or three months due to spike in coronavirus cases in the country.
Pakistan on Friday has recorded 50 deaths and 3,047 new cases due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the death toll stands at 8,653 as 50 more died in the last 24 hours.
The total count of active cases stands at 44,582 whereas the number of confirmed cases has soared up to 432,327. Nearly 2,538 patients are said to be in critical condition.
At least 379,092 people have recovered from the deadly disease so far with 4,791 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
The positivity rate was declined a bit and is currently at 7.15 percent. Karachi however tops the list as the positivity rate stands at 18.43 in the metropolitan city.
A total of 42,596 tests were conducted across the country while 5,948,742 samples have been tested thus far.
