PDM vows to hold December 13 Lahore rally 'at any cost'

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance comprising 11 of the country's opposition parties, has said that it will go ahead with its December 13 rally in Lahore despite warnings against breaching COVID-19 restrictions.

Last week, Lahore's Deputy Commissioner refused to grant permission to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for holding a public rally at the Greater Iqbal Park on December 13 due to the second wave of the pandemic, reports The Express Tribune.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Monday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader QamarZamanKaira said the government is changing its tactics to try and stop the alliance from holding the rally.

He further said that the opposition alliance has formed committees to prepare for the Lahore rally and the situation has been reviewed.

"The December 13 rally will take place." The government and the opposition alliance have been at loggerheads over the rally, with Prime Minister Imran Khan saying that the government will not grant permission to the opposition parties to stage the rally citing rising coronavirus related deaths and positive cases.

The December 13 Lahore power show will be the final face-off between the government and opposition before a likely march towards capital Islamabad.

The PDM has been holding public rallies across Pakistan without permission from district authorities to hold them in the wake of the current COVID-19 situation.

The five earlier PDM rallies were held on October 16 in Gujranwala, October 19 in Karachi, October 25 in Quetta, November 22 in Peshawar and November 30 in Multan. (IANS)

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