A case has been registered against Jamaat-e-Islami for violating coronavirus SOPs during its March 28 rally in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh.
The FIR, filed by Rawalpindi SI Mubashir Hussain, includes sections of the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Ordinance, 2020 and Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) Act 2015.
JI’s Raza Ahmed submitted an application seeking permission to hold the public meeting, the FIR said, adding that the request was denied because of the increase in COVID-19 cases across the country. The party, however, went ahead with it.
They placed “a large number of chairs, tents, sound systems” at the rally site and prominent leaders made speeches too. Action should be taken against this “illegal activity”, the FIR said.
“We had filed an application on March 11 but the government denied permission on the day of the rally,” said JI’s Usman Akash while speaking to SAMAA Digital.
He remarked that it is their democratic right to hold rallies and the government waited till the last minute to respond. “We had made all the preparations and could not have cancelled the event last minute.”
Akash claimed that over 10,000 people attended the public meeting.
