JUI-F proposes Maulana Fazlur Rehman as PDM head

ISLAMABAD: The note of dissent emerged in the meeting of Rehbar Committee on Wednesday to a question on who will head the multi-party opposition alliance as the JUI-F proposed the name of Maulana Fazlur Rehman to lead the alliance but the PPP was of the opinion that instead of Rehbar committee, the leadership of the opposition should decide this matter.

According to sources, in the meeting of the Rehbar Committee, which was held on Wednesday at the residence of Akram Khan, Durrani came up with the name of Maulana Fazlur Rehman to lead the alliance but PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari did not agree to it and argued that the Rehbar committee did not have the authority to make such a recommendation and this matter should be left to the leadership of the opposition to make any decision.

PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Bokhari proposed a PDA council similarto council of Movement of Restoration of Democracy (MRD) that comprised leadership of PDA and the head be elected to lead the alliance on rotation basis.

Sources said it was proposed that the alliance structure should also be made at the provincial level and also district level for the better coordination among the opposition parties for launching anti-government movement that will start from October with holding the public rallies and long march towards Islamabad in January 2021.

Sources said it was proposed to continue the Rehbar committee for the coordination within opposition parties. It was decided to form three coordination committees of the opposition as per proposal. One for the option of no confidence motions and resignation, second for formulating the strategy for the public rallies while the third one for coordination among the opposition parties.

Sources said it was decided to forward these proposals of Rehbar Committee to leadership of the opposition parties for their final decision on it. Later, statement issued by PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari after the meeting said that Rehbar committee did not recommend name of Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the Rehbar Committee did not have the authority to recommend any name of head of PDM. “The decision of heading the PDM only be taken by the leadership of the opposition,” he said.

He said Rehbar committee is small forum and decision to lead the PDM only be taken by the leadership of the opposition that participated in the APC. He said the Rehbar committee has forwarded this matter to leadership of the opposition instead of making any recommendation.

Meanwhile, the Rehbar committee of the opposition demanded from the leadership of the opposition formation of central basic structure for the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

“The Pakistan democratic Alliance has already been announced in the All Parties Conference so the leadership of the opposition should also announce the basic structure of the alliance so that it could be made functional,” said opposition leader in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly and senior leader of JUI-F Akram while addressing a press conference along with PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari and Mian Iftikhar of ANP after the meeting of the Rehbar Committee of the opposition, which was held at the residence of Akram Khan Durrani.

Akram Khan Durrani said there was a stir in the ranks of the government and its facilitators after the APC and now everyone knows how the prime minister was running the government. “The summoning notice to Maulana Fazlur Rehman from the NAB is example of shrieks coming out within the ranks of government,” he said.

He said the opposition scheduled to hold public rallies in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. “We invite all the opposition parties in scheduled public rallies of MMA in Karachi on September 29 and Quetta on September 25,” he said.

He said the conspiracies were being hatched to create sectarian violence in the country while the law and order situation is deteriorating in Islamabad. “The life threats were being made to Mian Iftikhar Hussain,” he said.

PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari said the Pakistan Democratic Alliance has been announced and now the basic structure at the central level and district level has to be formed. “We have requested to the opposition leadership to decide on it so that the PDM should be made functional,” he said.

He said it was consensus among the opposition parties for implementing all the decisions taken in the PDA. Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that he has been receiving life threats since 2010 and even his son was martyred in the terrorist attack but he did not afraid of any threats. “I am the follower of Bacha Khan and never afraid of the threats,” he said.