Federal Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry has criticised the Punjab government and the provincial police department for their policies relating to opposition rallies.
“In my opinion, whatever is happening for the last five days, it’s completely unnecessary,” Chaudhry said of the crackdown on workers of PDM parties ahead of their Multan rally.
“If you haven’t prevented the past rallies, then let this happen too,” he said. “Or else you throw the entire [opposition] leadership in jail.
“Don’t know who is making policies of the Punjab government and police,” the minister remarked. “If you want to allow the rally then let it happen and if you don’t want to allow it, then prevent it. Make a decision.”
He said opposition parties were desperate and Maulana Fazlur Rehman was capitalising on their despair. “He does want confrontation [between the government and opposition],” he said of Fazl.
Noting the increase in COVID-19 positivity rate in Peshawar, Multan and Bahawalpur, Chaudhry said the opposition was ready to go to any length for the sake of cases against its leaders.
“Their rallies have not yet made an impact,” he said. “They strategise in despair and fail.”