All eyes on Bagh-e-Jinnah as PDM holds second anti-govt jalsa in Karachi

KARACHI: The Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) second jalsa against the government  has started at Karachi's Bagh-e-Jinnah, as the Opposition eyes ousting Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PDM's central leadership is expected to address the gathering. This includes JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Maulana Shah Owais Noorani, Allama Sajid Mir, Dr Abdul Malik, Iftikhar Hussain, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, and others.

According to sources PDM president and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had already arrived in Karachi a day earlier. Maryam landed shortly after noon.

PPP's Karachi leader Najmi Alam said that arrangements had been made to ensure 50,000 seats were present inside the venue for participants.

The momentum and festivity seem to be increasing as the hours pass with flags of prominent political parties placed inside Bagh-e-Jinnah and banners put up for the PDM's power show.

Special arrangements for lighting and sound system have also made at the venue. Around 1,500 workers of the PPP will volunteer to regulate movement of traffic and ensure participants duly observe the anti-coronavirus precautions.

Different routes have been designated for various processions of different political parties and their leaders to arrive from.

'Govt will not complete tenure', says Maryam

Speaking to Geo News in Karachi about what the people can expect from PDM, Maryam said that the Opposition would target its focus on the rigging in the 2018 general elections and the government's current policies.

Maryam said that the government would "not complete its tenure as it has troubled the people immensely."

'Not looking towards the umpire'

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani visited the venue of the public meeting on Saturday night. The PPP chairman was briefed about the arrangements and preparation for the public meeting.

Lashing out at the government, Bilawal said that the PPP will organise a historic public gathering on October 18 and the PDM will continue the struggle for an independent Pakistan where the judiciary and the media are free.

Bilawal said that the selected government was unable to run the state and the economy. He said that the first public meeting of the PDM in Gujranwala had sent a clear message that the masses were not willing to let off Imran Khan easily for making people's lives miserable.

He said that the selected prime minister had robbed the people by inflation and shortages of wheat and sugar. He said we are not looking towards the ‘Umpire’ but are witnessing the hardships of people who were robbed of their mandate and their fate was handed over to an “incompetent selected leader.”

He said the federal government is denying Sindh its due share in the NFC Award and was also denying funds for the development of Karachi. Bilawal said the “selected prime minister and his facilitators” will be held accountable for these crimes. Referring to the PIDA ordinance, he said the federal government tried to take over the islands of Sindh and Balochistan under the garb of development.