PDM to push ahead with its anti-govt rallies, says Fazlur Rehman

ISLAMABAD: The opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will ramp up its anti-government mass contact campaign with rallies planned in more cities, its president Fazlur Rehman announced on Sunday, as the 11-party alliance sought to project a united front.

Speaking to the media about the decisions taken in a meeting of PDM leaders — which was also attended by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif via video link — Maulana Fazl said the alliance will move forward due to the country’s political situation as well as the “most urgent issue” of the economic crisis, according to Geo News.

The meeting came days after PPP’s Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari admitted to the BBC that he was taken aback when he heard Sharif’s speech in Gujranwala. Government mouthpieces like Shibli Faraz quickly pounced on the interview as evidence of a rift in the PDM’s ranks, while Sheikh Rashid predicted the PPP’s breakaway from the alliance by next year.

“The PDM has decided to take our movement forward and a schedule for more rallies in various cities of Pakistan was discussed,” Maulana Fazl said during the briefing. He added that in the PDM’s view, the movement’s true purpose is to restore democracy and the rule of Constitution in Pakistan.

The 11-party movement has decided to draft an agreement, the JUI-F chief said, adding that the steering committee would meet on November 13, where all the parties would bring forward their recommendations. “Through the parties’ recommendations, a mutual agreement will be made,” he said.

On November 14, in Islamabad, the party leaders will convene and deliberate on the recommendations of the steering committee and give the agreement a final shape.

Talking about the meeting, he said that the “disrespect” shown to the Sindh Police’s high command and the incident that had transpired in Karachi with regard to Maryam Nawaz and Capt (retd) Safdar Awan was once again condemned.

Fazlur Rehman said it had been three weeks since the incident, but a report had not yet been brought forward. “A person is no longer able to lead a dignified life (in Pakistan),” lamented the PDM chief.

He said that despite members of the Opposition facing cases launched by the National Accountability Bureau and other institutions, a decision in the case of “PTI’s foreign funding” was still pending. The PDM chief went on to say that while cases were being filed against the Opposition leaders, there was “silence” when it came to PTI leader Jahangir Tareen’s “corruption”.

He said the meeting also expressed concerns over the arrest of Editor-in-Chief Jang and Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who has been incarcerated for over 200 days despite the expiry of the remand granted to the National Accountability Bureau.