LAHORE - Speaking in the context of PDM’s planned rally in Multan, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Sunday cautioned the political opponents that the government will never allow anyone to challenge writ of the state. The chief minister deplored that Coronavirus was about to be eradicated from the country but the highly irresponsible attitude of the opposition parties gave this virus a new life.

“These rejected elements first spread the virus of corruption and now they are becoming the source of multiplying the virus by holding public meetings”, he said in a statement, adding that the opposition parties’ public meetings had absolutely no bearing on the government.

“The only thing the government is worried about is the spread of the COVID-19 as the second wave has become even more dangerous with its non-traditional symptoms,” he maintained.

The chief minister warned the PDM leadership that they should desist from playing with the lives of the poor masses. “Law will take its course in case of violations of the SOPs of the coronavirus prevention,” he said. Usman Buzdar regretted that opposition was not realising its national obligations during the corona epidemic. “Protecting the masses from the virus is the need of the hour rather than holding public gatherings’’. He said the government was making serious efforts to prevent second wave of the corona epidemic from spreading in the country, but the rejected elements were busy in doing ‘Jalsa politics”.

Rejected elements first spread virus of corruption and now becoming source of multiplying the virus by holding public meetings

He said that there was no justification for holding public meetings under the recent situation of the corona epidemic and the government will not allow anyone to compromise lives of common man under any pretext. He expressed sorrow that the opposition parties had put the national interests at the backburner for their petty political interests.  

Separately, Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Sunday said that the PDM was putting the lives of the people in danger by holding rallies. 

“The opposition is engaged in a tacit conspiracy of crippling the prosperity of the people and progress and development in the country. The opposition is giving meaningless and absurd statements just for point-scoring”, she said in a statement.

Dr Firdous said that the alliance of opposition parties only wanted to safeguard their personal interests and the looted money and their decision to hold rallies was one of the major reasons for the increasing number of corona cases. “These rallies will not topple the government but increase the number of corona patients in the country. The insensible opposition leaders are unable to understand the severity of the situation”, she added. While criticising Bilawal Zardari, she said that although Bilawal himself was corona positive, he was still adamant to hold the rallies. “Likewise, the lust for power has blinded the Calibri Queen as she does not care about the lives of the people”, she remarked, adding that the number of corona cases increased after the opposition rally in Peshawar and still the opposition had turned a deaf ear to government’s advice of not holding rallies.

She said that it was the responsibility of the state to protect and safeguard the lives and properties of the people. She said that the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will take every possible step to protect the lives of the people. “No one is above the law. The government will strictly implement corona SOPs and legal action will be taken in the case of violation”, she warned.