ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Thursday it was canceling a planned rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Sept. 28 on the instructions of party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan, and would hold a peaceful protest instead on the same day.

Following rallies this month in Islamabad and Lahore, the PTI announced this week it would hold public gatherings in Rawalpindi and Lahore on Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 respectively to build pressure for Khan’s release. The ex-PM has been in jail since August last year on multiple charges including corruption, sedition and terrorism. Khan says the cases against him are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from politics. 

“On instructions of founding Chairman PTI, Imran Khan, the Rawalpindi Jalsa on Sept 28th is canceled and there will be a peaceful protest instead,” the PTI party said in a statement on Thursday. “More details will be shared soon.”

The PTI’s last two rallies were not without complications. The Sept. 8 rally in Islamabad was first planned for July and then August but was postponed both times as the party was denied permission to hold it by the district administration which cited security threats and a lack of resources to manage large gatherings. 

After the Islamabad rally, a number of PTI legislators were arrested on charges of violating an agreement on the basis of which permission for the rally was given, including abiding by a time limit and supporters sticking to certain routes to reach the designated venue for the rally on Islamabad’s outskirts. 

Last Saturday’s gathering in Lahore also came to an abrupt end after authorities cut off electricity supply to the venue after the 3-6pm deadline expired. 

Khan’s party says the challenges in holding rallies are part of an over year-long crackdown it has faced since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after the former premier’s brief arrest the same day in a land graft case.

Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military, which says Khan and his party were behind the attacks, has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.

Khan, who has been in jail since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday warned that at least 10 Pakistani cities could face a dengue outbreak in October, advising all stakeholders to take “preemptive measures.”

Dengue is an illness that spreads through vectors, carried by the bite of an infected mosquito. There is currently no cure or vaccine for dengue fever, which in its most severe form can lead to fatalities.

People affected by dengue go through intense flu-like symptoms including high fever, intense headache, muscle and joint pain, and nausea and vomiting, typically persisting for approximately a week.

“Based on the analysis, the environment has become conducive from mid of September 2024 for dengue onset and it is predicted that it may outbreak in October 2024, particularly in ten major cities of Pakistan i.e., Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Larkana and Multan as well as in post monsoon rainfall affected areas of Pakistan,” PMD said in an advisory.

“It is advised to all stakeholders to take preemptive measures for the dengue outbreak in the districts. National Health agencies and Dengue control centers are advised to keep themselves updated on the PMD website.” 

The PMD said dengue outbreaks occured in the post-monsoon season, which usually falls between Sept. 20 and Dec. 5 if conditions are favorable. 

It said the active period for dengue attacks was two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset, while breeding stopped once the temperature fell below 16°C. 

Dengue fever is endemic to Pakistan, which experiences year-round transmission with seasonal peaks. 

An advisory published by Pakistan’s National Institute of Health in 2023 said a total of 52,929 cases and 224 deaths from dengue were reported in the country in 2021, while there were approximately 79,007 confirmed cases of dengue with 149 deaths in 2022, with a surge in cases following unprecedented flooding that began in mid-June 2022. 

In 2023, Pakistan reported 3,019 suspected cases and eight deaths from dengue. 

The virus has been surging worldwide, aided by climate change. 

Dengue cases substantially increased in the Americas this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in May, which indicates the mosquito-borne viral illness remains a high-risk threat to public health.

The UN agency said the number of cases in the Americas exceeded 7 million by the end of April, already surpassing the annual high of 4.6 million in 2023.
In comparison, over 7.6 million dengue cases and about 3,000 deaths were reported globally during the same period.