GUJRAT: Police have launched a crackdown on the corner meetings being arranged by local PML-N cadre to mobilise workers ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Gujranwala rally in various parts of the region, as a social media activist of the party was arrested from the venue of a such an event, whereas in Dinga town a flour mill where a “workers convention” was to be held was sealed.

The party’s local leaders are also complaining of police highhandedness across the region despite an announcement by Prime Minister Imran Khan following the cabinet meeting that the opposition would be given a free hand for agitation.

PML-N central deputy secretary general Attaullah Tarrar told Dawn by telephone that the Gujranwala police raided the venue of a party corner meeting at the outhouse of Aamir Butt along Noshehra Road prior to the start of the event and arrested party’s social media activist Aadil Aslam was there to cover the meeting.

Mr Tarrar added the police took Aslam to Bhagwan Pura police station. However, he said, as Aslam had already informed some party workers about his arrest, they had gathered in front of the police station.

The PML-N leader said he would join the protesters outside the police station soon after attending another corner meeting in Gujranwala.

Similarly, he said, police had removed chairs from the venue of a corner meeting at Qila Deedar Singh before the arrival of party workers there, whereas complaints were being received that police were demanding identity cards from the participants of various corner meetings.

He added a large number of PML-N workers were also reaching there from different areas, particularly Gujranwala.

Mr Tarrar and some other senior parliamentarians of the party, including Mian Javed Latif, Mian Abdul Mannan, besides local leaders, have been holding corner meetings in various parts of Gujranwala district to mobilise the PML-N workers ahead of the PDM meeting to be held in the Jinnah Stadium on October 16 which would be addressed by top leadership of different parties, including Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others.

Meanwhile, in Dinga town, police forcibly closed the main gate of the flour mill where ex-PML-N MPA Mian Tariq Mehmood had arranged a “workers convention” and a dinner for the party workers in connection with the preparations for the Gujranwala rally.

Former vice chairman of Gujrat district council Mian Sher Afghan told Dawn that the police besieged the flour mill ahead of the event and did not even allow the hosts to enter the venue. After the police action, he said, the event was held in the lawns of the ex-MPA’s house.

He said that police wanted to clash with the party workers so that they could be booked or arrested. However, he said, the local party leader sagaciously avoided such a situation.

Meanwhile, the local authorities in Gujranwala have not yet formally allowed the organisers to hold the PDM rally in the stadium.

Printing press owners in Gujrat have been told not to print any pro-PDM poster or penaflex.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2020