PDM resignation option may be stretched into Feb

LAHORE: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) may decide to extend the final date for submitting legislators’ resignations to the first week of February, The News has learnt.

This proposal was floated and pondered upon during a meeting between PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz here on Friday at the latter’s residence at Jatti Umra.

The fresh proposals become a necessity in view of the alarming corona attack, extreme weather till it opens a bit in February and, above all, mobilization of the masses at high revs. Both the leaders agreed upon three major aspects of the platform’s objectives --- the proposed long march, the timing and procedure of submitting the resignations and the all-important post-resignation plan of action.

The young PDM leadership believed the platform should start the march on Islamabad in the first week of February. Depending on the effectiveness of the march --- if the move alone fetched the desired results --- the PDM would go for the next phase.

In case, the Imran government sustained the march and, perhaps, a sit-in, the PDM will resort to en masse resignations. The time seems obvious. It would be early or mid-February. The modus operandi of handing the resignations in from all the legislatures will be decided in the next meeting of the platform. The course to be adopted in Sindh vis-à-vis quitting the system will also be decided later. Probably, it was learnt, the PDM thinks the dissolution would give better results.

The last big issue discussed between Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz was the post-resignation strategy to achieve the objectives from without. The young Turks pondered on the most important phase of the movement. It was suggested the entire strand of the PDM should never resort to violence at any stage of the campaign already in motion.

During the discussion, focusing on that specific stage, it was agreed the movement should hamper the system of the government by resorting to wheel-jam strikes and stimulating various unions and student bodies, organizations, human rights fora, lawyers and other power groups in the country to bring the government down and make the establishment budge on the already stated demands of the platform.

Sources revealed Bilawal Bhutto had come to take Maryam Nawaz’s input on giving some sort of shape to multiple options the PPP had in mind after deliberations with the other components of the PDM. The PPP had narrowed down quite a few suggestions for discussion in the next PDM meeting after the Lahore public rally on Dec 13.

It was discussed the points they had evolved a consensus on would be put before the next meeting of the PDM to shape the final strategy. The young leadership of both the mainstream political parties dilated upon the important future course of the PDM in the light of the discussions between former PM Mian Nawaz Sharif and president Asif Ali Zardari.

It was decided the respective components of the PDM would constitute committees at all levels across the country for inter and intra-party coordination. These committees will be established to keep the momentum up in-between major events.