PDM to wrap up first phase of protest campaign with sixth power show

ISLAMABAD: The public meeting organised in Lahore on Sunday by the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) will be the sixth power show of the 11-party opposition alliance since its formation 83 days ago.

The public rally will mark the end of the first phase of its anti-government movement, which was unveiled on September 20 when the PDM was cobbled together.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had hosted the maiden meeting of the alliance, which had released a communique outlining its future course of action.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif had also attended that meeting. However, not long after, he was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a pending case after he withdrew his bail plea from the Lahore High Court sensing that it would be turned down.

The first phase has seen the opposition parties collectively bring their supporters out on the streets for the first time since the Imran Khan government took power almost two-and-a-half years ago.

Previously, their protests had been confined to the parliament alone.

The next round of the PDM protest is the long march at the end of January. However, a date for the march has yet to be decided. In between, during the long march or after that, the federal and provincial lawmakers of the PDM component parties plan to tender resignations from the legislatures. They are yet to set a date for that major step too.

Of the previous power shows, the public rallies arranged in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta were relatively trouble-free in the sense that there was not much interference by the respective provincial governments. The Karachi event was expected to go off smoothly because the host, the PPP, is in power in Sindh.

However, there were many efforts to hamper and disrupt the meetings in Gujranwala and Multan. In Gujranwala, the administration had finally lifted strict restrictions and removed most containers at the last moment.

In Multan, the situation was much worse. But it seems that experience has made the government learn a lesson – that it is better not to impede such gatherings with force as it only brings embarrassment; it is better to refuse permission and register cases for violations.

That seems to be the policy the government is set to follow in Lahore, where the PDM, especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) -- which has a track record of winning successive elections in the Punjab capital -- has worked hard to make the rally a huge success.

As is the norm prior to every public rally, the government has issued security alerts indicating that terrorists may strike and cautioned the organisers to be watchful and refrain from gathering too many people at one place.

At the same time, the government has issued constant warnings to the opposition that the Covid-19 pandemic would spread fast in such assemblies.

A multitude of cases have been registered for violation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Coronavirus. However, the PDM leaders have constantly ignored such warnings.

With the PDM persisting with its protest campaign unhindered by the Covid-19 threat, Prime Minister Imran Khan also addressed a public rally in Hafizabad. But he called off a similar show in Nowshera saying that this has been done due to the dangers posed by the Coronavirus. He has urged the opposition coalition to postpone its campaign for a couple of months in view of the pandemic.

Of the power shows, the PDM held its first public meeting in Gujranwala on October 16; the second show was organized in Karachi on Oct 18, the third rally was arranged in Quetta on Oct 25; the fourth event was held in Peshawar on Nov 22; and the fifth demonstration was organised in Multan on Nov 30.

Besides other top PDM leaders, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressed the Gujranwala, Quetta and Peshawar events from London via video link.

His hard-hitting speeches were not aired on TV channels because of the ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) but were telecast live on the Internet. He is also expected to deliver a speech to the Lahore meeting. Bilawal could not attend the Multan rally as he had been tested positive for Covid-19, but his sister Aseefa Bhutto Zardari spoke to the crowd instead.

Bilawal was unable to address the Peshawar rally because of non-availability of the Internet service. Maryam Nawaz has spoken at all the PDM rallies so far and has been the main speaker everywhere.