Staff Reporter
Lahore
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, has given the PTI-led government an ultimatum that it should resign by January 31 or else. The finalised date of its planned march on Islamabad to topple the government will be announced on February 1. The top leadership of the PDM met at Jati Umrah, Raiwind to decide what’s next for the Opposition’s anti-government campaign. JUI-F chief Fazl chaired the meeting. “If the government does not resign by January 31 then the PDM will march on Islamabad,” announced JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, as he addressed a press conference along with PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto.
The news conference was held following a consultative session of the opposition alliance on Monday. “I appeal the nation to start preparations for the long march from today,” he added.
He said the schedule for the long-march given to the provincial leaders of PDM by the alliance’s steering committee will remain unchanged.
Fazl, who heads PDM, also said that opposition leaders have signed a historic declaration against the PTI-led government in the meeting.
Furthermore, the PDM chief said that the alliance’s leaders and the steering committee members would hold meetings with the party leaders of their respective provinces.
Responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement of not giving an NRO to the Opposition, Fazl said: “He is making such statements as he is under pressure.”
Fazl said that the leaders had signed an agreement similar to that of the Charter of Democracy Pakistan — that was signed by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto on May 14, 2006, in London.
Speaking on the occasion, PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz rebuked the reports that she expressed displeasure over party leaders for not being able to gather a large number of people at Minar-e-Pakistan, where the alliance held a public gathering. Maryam said that some “media houses were spreading false reports” and that she had appreciated her party leaders for their works that had led to a “successful” Lahore jalsa.
She said despite extreme temperature, people in huge number attended Sunday’s power show and that the ground filled to its capacity. “People were listening to the speeches standing outside the ground,” she insisted.
During the media talk, a journalist asked Maryam Nawaz if she was ready for talks with the government. Responding to this, she said that everything rests in the hands of the public now, the selectors or the selected no longer matter.
