Will the PDM be able to topple the Imran Khan regime?

[MenInG]

Will fail miserably as expected.

No honour among thieves.

==

PPP "stabbed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in the back", the Opposition alliance's chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said Friday, as he announced an expansion of protests by the movement across the country.

Fazl, speaking at a press conference in Karachi alongside Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and other political party leaders, told reporters to not discuss PPP as it was "a thing of the past".

A meeting of the leaders of various Opposition political parties in the PDM was held prior to the media briefing, ahead of the alliance's rally at the Quaid's mausoleum on Sunday.

"PDM will also raise the issues in Sindh," he said, hitting out once more at the PPP, which is the ruling provincial party.

The PDM chief said women would also come to the anti-government protests, and they would be treated with the utmost respect — in reference to the recent harassment incidents with women in Lahore.

The PDM chief said the Opposition alliance rejects the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA). "We do not accept this black law."

Fazl said PDM stands in solidarity with the journalist community and announced a protest outside the parliament, as PMDA was an "unannounced", "dictatorial" law.

The meeting participants expressed sorrow over the fire at a chemical factory that killed 16 labourers in Karachi, the blast in Quetta which left several injured, and other incidents, he said.

Fazl said leaders of all the political parties associated with the anti-government movement had attended the meeting, and they expressed grief over the ongoing "instability" in the country.

He further said that the PDM also rejected the government's electoral reforms, which he claimed that the "entire world" had disapproved of, but the incumbent government was persistent in introducing.

"Electronic voting is a plan to steal elections," he said.

The PDM chief said the government had "taken away the jobs of thousands" of people, as it aims to bring reforms to make state institutions profitable. "The meeting expressed deep concerns over the unemployment and inflation in the country," he added.

Bilawal welcomes PDM in Karachi

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a couple of days ago, termed the news of the PDM holding a jalsa in Karachi as welcome news, adding that his party had informed PDM leaders of doing things the constitutional way. He said it was the right of every political party to hold rallies.

He said that the PPP also desires to give a tough time to the PTI-led coalition government, adding that it has been opposing the regime since it came to power in 2018.

PDM's troubles
The PDM, a multi-party Opposition alliance, was formed on September 20, 2020 with a view to oust the PTI-led government.

After a successful first few weeks of campaigning, that saw mass rallies convene all across Pakistan, rifts began to emerge, around the time of the Senate elections.

At the forefront of the tensions are the PPP and PML-N — considered the two biggest Opposition parties in Pakistan — ever since PPP's Yousaf Raza Gillani was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

Gillani's appointment drew the ire of PDM, which said that the move was made without its blessing.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz maintains that at the time of the Senate chairman election, it was "decided" that with the PPP running for the seat, the PML-N will be given the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate position.

PPP, however, rounded up 30 senators to get its own candidate, Gillani appointed to the Opposition leader position.

The numbers comprised 21 senators from the PPP itself, 2 senators from the Awami National Party, 1 senator of the Jamaat-i-Islami, 2 independents from FATA and a group of 4 'independents' led by Senator Dilawar Khan that had broken away from the Balochistan Awami Party to support Gillani's candidature.

Over seeking the support of government allies (members of BAP), the PDM then issued show-cause notices to the PPP, as well as ANP, a move that was considered highly offensive by both parties and resulted in them quitting the alliance.

Mudslinging between both parties, following the break up, has continued and the rift seems to be widening over time.

In the NA-249 by-election in Karachi, the PPP and PML-N fielded their separate candidates with PPP's Abdul Qadir Mandokhel winning the race. PML-N accused the PPP of stealing the election.

PPP, in turn, demanded proof of the allegations and went so far as to name the PML-N as the "original selected" and "only second to PTI in its selectedness".

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl faction, has on several occasions said he wishes to give PPP and ANP a chance to return to the fold.

In the latest report of him attempting to bridge the gap between the parties, it was said close to Eid-ul-Fitr, that the PDM chief may make an attempt to invite PPP and ANP back into the fold after Eid.

The PML-N president, too, in recent weeks was focusing his efforts on bringing the PPP and the ANP back, in order to more effectively put pressure on the government once again.

Shahbaz, ahead of the last major PDM meeting, in May, had said at a press conference: "No party has the right to bring or kick another party out [of the alliance]. PDM is a forum and decisions are taken with consensus."

On May 29, the alliance rejected the government's electoral reforms as "one-sided" and announced a fresh wave of protest rallies across the country.

On August 11, when the alliance met after a two-month hiatus, Fazlur Rehman declared the electronic voting machine as the "simplest way to rig elections".

Subsequently, on August 21, when its steering committee met, it announced a white paper against the government's three-year performance.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

The Pakistan Democratic Movement, in its first power show in months on Sunday, at Karachi's Bagh-e-Jinnah, declared its campaign is very much alive, and called upon the people to "rise and bring a revolution".

The Opposition alliance said it will "bury the government with a tide of people that will storm Islamabad".

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was the last to address the rally, said that the three-year performance of the PTI has revealed how the government has turned the state and the people "unsecure".

The PDM chief said that while other nations continue to progress, Pakistan "has only regressed".

"Of course, amid all this, we cannot sit quietly and idly by. We have sworn to raise Pakistan's ranks among the great nations of the world," he said.

Fazlur Rehman said that due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the COVID crisis, PDM's activities had undoubtedly been impacted, and people began to criticise how the movement has become silent, "but this sea of people, your enthusiasm bears witness that you are alive, the PDM is alive, and we will continue our journey forward without being stopped".

He said that the PDM reiterates that "this government is illegal".

"It has no mandate. It came into power through fake votes. They are seated in power with the use of force.

"We will combat them all, including those that support such imposed leaders upon us," the PDM chief said.

Fazlur Rehman reiterated the movement's stance that all governance must be in accordance with the Constitution, law and with the supremacy of parliament intact.

He said that annual growth target of 5.5% was given for the economy, which was raised to 6.5% for next year, "but this incompetent government dragged down the annual growth rate to below zero".

"This point or two percent that you speak of, is nothing but lies," he said to the government.

He said that in a household of five, when previously," three would be employed and two unemployed, but now four are unemployed and only one employed".

Fazlur Rehman also decried soaring prices of essential commodities, saying that recently when he spoke to a doctor, who owns a medical centre, himself is unable to buy medicines for his treatment.

"Was Pakistan made to serve such incompetent people?

"You must all rise and bring a revolution," he declared.

"There is no way other than bringing a revolution," he said, adding that PDM will "prove to the world it makes good on its pledges".

"I wish to tell you all, do not descend into hopelessness. A fish was asked how long it will continue to swim and it replied by saying until the sea has the strength to raise the tides, I will continue to have the strength to swim in these tides," the PDM chief said, in an attempt to inspire the people to act.

"Keep your hopes raised, your spirits up, this drive in you fueled. Cowardice is what infidels have. It is never a sign of a true momin," he added.

Moving on to foreign policy matters, he said that a nation can never make friends unless it aligns the interests of the world with its own objectives.

He said that when things were looking up for Pakistan, when the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) kicked off, and after 70 years of friendship with China, which is a great nation with veto powers at the United Nations, Imran Khan "isolated Pakistan" of other friends.

He said that although PM Imran Khan "sometimes makes anti-US remarks for show, he acted like an American agent and robbed us of friends, buried our economy and today we are isolated".

"And then the greed for the West out of which we sabotaged Chinese investments, they too abandoned us."

Fazlur Rehman said Pakistan has declared it will not allow the US the use of its military bases, "but you have opened up all your hotels to the Americans now", in reference to evacuations from Afghanistan that Islamabad has participated in, bringing in many foreign nationals, and granting them transit visas.

"We sold Kashmir off to Modi who does not wish to answer our phone call," he went on to say.

"And for the rest of Kashmir, he talks about a referendum. You do not even know the state policy for Kashmir," he said, in derision of the prime minister.

He said in Pakistan, in Gilgit-Balistan, in Kashmir elections, "votes were stolen and given to the PTI".

Fazlur Rehman also inquired where the funds promised for the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas, the now merged districts, had been spent.

He promised not only rallies, but road caravans and a march to Islamabad.

The PDM chief, speaking of the Afghan situation, urged the government to extend support to Afghanistan in view of their "general amnesty" and urged the global community to "make good on the deal they made", without imposing additional conditions.

"We wish for peace in the region and for good relations with our neighbours."

'Tide of people will bury the govt'
PML-N president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif addressing the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Karachi, on August 29, 2021. — Geo News
PML-N president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif addressing the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Karachi, on August 29, 2021. — Geo News
Prior to Fazlur Rehman, PML-N president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif addressed the gathering, decrying how Karachi and Balochistan had long been left neglected.

Speaking of the addresses delivered by Baloch leaders before him, which centered around the province's deprivations, Shahbaz said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his party will "stand by them to get them their economic, social and legal rights".

He recalled how "Imran Niazi" had visited Karachi in March 2019 and promised a Rs162 billion development package for Sindh, and especially Karachi.

"And then, in 2020, when there was flooding due to heavy rains, Imran Niazi announced a Rs1,100 billion package again," Shahbaz said.

The PML-N president said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told him that Sindh had agreed to contribute to the package, but the province has yet to see the funds released, with the exception of a "penny here and there".

Shahbaz said that the people are being "lulled into a false sense of security" with "false promises".

The former Punjab chief minister recalled how between 2013 and 2018, violence and terror had gripped Karachi with bodies routinely being found in gunny sacks and extortion was rife. "Such an atmosphere of fear was prevalent that people began shifting their businesses to Punjab," he said.

"But Nawaz Sharif (who was prime minister then) worked with institutions in the city, the provincial government and the businessmen, and developed a plan after which you saw the return of peace in Karachi and the families of businessmen returned.

"Today extortion has been eradicated from Karachi," Shahbaz said.

Shahbaz also recalled "hours-long loadshedding, daily wagers returning home to no fans and living in mental anguish, no smoke coming out of industrial chimneys, businesses wrapping up and agricultural fields drying up out of resource deprivation".

He said it was in the PML-N era that for the "first time in Pakistan's history", power projects were installed that generated 1,100MW of electricity.

"Now Karachi's lights once more shine bright, industries are working full throttle and livelihoods that were lost due to a shortage of power, have once more returned," he added.

Turning his guns back to PM "Imran Niazi", he said that "he would say that if the rupee slides down even by one unit versus the dollar, then the leader in power is corrupt".

"He would say if electricity costs rise, then the premier is corrupt, if inflation is on the rise, the premier is corrupt."

"Now you all tell me, has sugar become cheaper? Has flour become cheaper? Has electricity become cheaper? Has gas become cheaper?" he asked, to loud chants of "No!"

Shahbaz said that there "can be no greater injustice than to sit in a 300-kanal house" in Bani Gala and "speak of Riyasat-e-Madina".

He said PM Imran Khan is "leading people astray with his lies", adding that the premier travels from his home to his office "daily in a helicopter".

"What would he know of the burdens of the poor man, who longs for even a single meal?" he asked.

Shahbaz said that he is "not saying all this for the sake of making a speech". "Perhaps the people of Karachi would not know, because the PML-N did not have a government here but I can tell you medicines and treatment were free in Punjab."

"Laptops were distributed to students and education was made possible for low income families. Today they are doctors, engineers and are at high posts and are fully contributing in Pakistan's prosperity," he said.

He went on to state that the PML-N may have made the first metro bus in 2012 "but it was Karachi that had the right to get it first".

"It is the financial centre, contributes 68% revenue and like a mother is hosting people [from all over the country]. But it has been treated like a step-child."

He said a "tide of people will have to go to Islamabad and wipe out this storm of inflation". "We will go and bury this inflation and bury this government," he said.

'PML-N will bring metro buses, circular train'
Speaking on the occasion, PML-N leader Miftah Ismail assured Karachiites that Shahbaz Sharif will construct five metro bus projects in Karachi.

Miftah promised that a circular train would also be introduced in the city of lights.

Highlighting the sugar crisis, Miftah said that during Shahbaz Sharif’s government sugar was available at Rs55 per kg, meanwhile the essential commodity is now available at Rs110 per kg.

Speaking of the prices of wheat flour, he said when Nawaz was premier, he left the price at Rs25 per kg, and it is now Rs70 per keg.

He claimed Shahbaz Sharif had installed one of the cheapest power plants and no such power plant has been installed so far.

This is the first major rally without PPP, which has parted ways with the alliance. Fazlur Rehman, a day earlier, said that PPP "stabbed PDM in the back", and has now become "a thing of the past". Bilawal, today, in what appears to be a response to the remarks, said that PPP had been "cheated" by trusted friends, and will now only rely on its jiyalas. He said the party will stand on its own feet and do its own politics.

The anti-government Opposition alliance made big arrangements at the rally venue, which included a 25-foot tall, 75-foot wide stage.

A separate area for women attendees has been prepared, next to the stage.

A steady flow of participants continued to arrive at the venue. Interestingly however, women attendees were not seen much, despite protection promised by the PDM.

Stringent security measures were reported to be in place, with a large police presence, aside from the Razakar force.

The police contingent deployed at the venue includes 25 senior officers, 65 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and 3,748 police personnel.

Women security personnel were also stationed there, with 30 of the total 93 belonging to the Special Security Unit (SSU) of Sindh Police.

The police encouraged people to report any suspicious activity immediately on the 15 police helpline.

Special arrangements were made for the flow of traffic around the Bagh-e-Jinnah area.

PDM to hold rallies nationwide
A day earlier, Fazlur Rehman announced multiple anti-government rallies nationwide, soon.

PDM had also earlier declared following a meeting of its steering committee on August 21 that a white paper will be issued on the three-year performance of the government.

GEO

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1643528/pdms-karachi-rally-may-have-been-more-effective-if-women-were-allowed-to-participate-bilawal

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday took a jibe at the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) rally in Karachi a day earlier, saying "maybe the rally would have been more effective if they (PDM) gave women permission to participate."

Addressing a press conference in Sukkur, he said he could not comment on whether the PDM rally — the alliance's first power show after a months-long lull — was "successful", adding that the PPP believed all democratic parties should play their role.

However, it would have been "more effective" if the PDM allowed women to participate in the rally, he said.

"This is not Afghanistan. This is Karachi, capital of Sindh," he remarked.

He questioned how a country and a city could be run when "even a home cannot be run without a woman", recalling that Pakistan was the first Muslim country to appoint a female prime minister.

No society can progress until men and women are equal participants in economy and politics, the PPP chairperson said. "Maybe this was a reason that Karachi rejected them (PDM) and that [an] impression could not be built as in the past."

However, there was "more time" and the PDM would hold more events, he said. "Our best wishes are with them — that the government is harmed from their movement instead of benefitted because till now, we think the government is benefitting from the PDM's way of [doing] politics."

He shared that he had asked Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to talk to PDM president and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and inform them that "we are present if they need anything."

Bilawal said the PPP had "showed a way to the whole country to get rid of Prime Minister Imran Khan" when it managed to make former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani win in the Senate polls in March instead of PTI's Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

He said that if the other opposition parties agreed to "first attack Punjab and then go the national level, then this government will go home".

If the opposition was serious, then it could pull off "such a big feat, the example of which you won't find in the democratic system" similar to how it had "defeated the prime minister from his own electoral college" during the Senate polls, he added.

Talking about mass resignations — the issue which led to PPP's separation from the alliance — the PPP chairperson said the PDM parliamentarians should resign "on principle since we are not together [and] that was their problem".

The votes of PDM members who were a part of the National Assembly were being "wasted", he claimed.

Bilawal invited the opposition to support the PPP, stressing that it could "not only give a tough time to the government but also remove it".

Responding to a question, the PPP chairperson said it was a "misunderstanding" that the Sindh government did not want to hold local government elections.

He claimed that a "fake census was conducted to snatch the rights and resources from the province and people", citing it as the reason for the delay in holding elections for local bodies.

He noted that the Sindh government had written twice, asking for a joint sitting of parliament to be held on the issue of the 2017 census, but the demand was not accepted.

"As soon as this issue concludes, we will be first in carrying out local bodies elections and also win them."

The PPP "respected democracy and national mandate" which is why local bodies were able to complete their five-year term unlike in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.

 

[MenInG]

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and other opposition leaders are set to address a ‘comeback’ rally of Pakistan Demo*cratic Movement (PDM), an anti-government alliance, in Faisalabad on Saturday night.

Shehbaz Sharif had nominated Maryam to represent PML-N in today’s rally, former senator Pervez Rashid had said last night.

Rashid said that Shehbaz was unwell and given his health issues, he has chosen not to attend the rally. In his place, he said, Maryam will represent the party. PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is also expected to address the public gathering via video link from London.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads PDM, had announced earlier this month that the anti-government alliance was serious and strengthened in its goal of toppling the Imran Khan-led government.

He added that grand public gatherings would be organised in Faisalabad on October 16 and DI Khan on October 31 for this purpos

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the joint opposition alliance, has announced a new phase of protest in a bid to dislodge the PTI-led government, blaming it for high inflation and rising unemployment in the country.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced the decision in a joint news conference, flanked by PML-N Senior Vice-President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pashtun leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai in Islamabad on Sunday.

Fazl, who also heads the PDM, said that after consulting the chiefs of constituent parties of the opposition alliance it had been decided that there is a need to take “effective measures” to dislodge the incumbent government.

“The cries of the common man are reaching the sky due to rising inflation and skyrocketing food prices. People are compelled to commit suicide..,” he added.

Fazl said after Eid Miladun Nabi celebrations, the PDM will stage protests in various districts of the country for two weeks.

He also urged the masses to join the PDM protest rallies to get rid of "unprecedented inflation, poverty and unemployment" and added that the opposition parties are ready to fight the government at all fronts.

Meanwhile, an official statement said PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif discussed the matter of anti-government campaign with party supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The PML-N supremo, who is in London, has approved the decision to launch the protest movement against the rising inflation in the country, the statement shared on the Twitter handle said.

The development comes a day after, JUI-F chief Fazl had urged PDM parties to take to the streets instead of holding rallies.

PDM Monday meeting

Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Fazl has summoned the PDM leaders meeting in Islamabad tomorrow (Monday) at 3pm to discuss the prevailing situation in the country including rising inflation, electoral reforms particularly the PTI government’s move to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next general elections.

The PDM leaders will devise a strategy for the upcoming anti-government rallies and also mull an option to march on Islamabad in an attempt to pile up pressure on the incumbent government.

Besides the anti-government protests, they will also discuss the matter of recently introduced NAB ordinance by the PTI-led government.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2327978/pml-n-to-consider-pros-and-cons-of-road-rallies

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has not yet finalised its proposal pertaining to the next “plan of action” that will be placed before the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership in the upcoming meeting, a senior PML-N leader said on the condition of anonymity.

He added that the PML-N was also not yet clear if they will agree to the proposal of other parties in the alliance regarding road caravans and a possible long march.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the PML-N leader said the main role of the opposition parties was not to dislodge the government and ascend to the throne. “There is a bigger responsibility of keeping the government on the right track.”

The PML-N leader stressed that political parties in the country will also have to move beyond this one dimensional approach. “There should not be an iota of doubt in the fact that they want this government gone at the earliest, but they would not want democratic principles to be slayed in the process.”

He urged opposition parties to build enough pressure on the government, within and outside parliament, so that the government resigns on its own.

Responding to a question, the PML-N leader maintained that even if other political parties that are part of PDM propose the idea of a road caravan, they would ask them the advantages of doing so.

“What would be the point of a road caravan from one city to another, how will they be able to mobilize their workers without telling them and what will they be able to achieve out of it,” he questioned.

The PML-N leader further said his party would consider the arguments placed before them in the meeting, to back these proposals, with an open mind. “If their proposal of road caravan carried weight, they would consider it by all means.”

On the other hand, PML-N Punjab Spokesperson Azma Bukhari said internal deliberations were going on and the party has yet not finalised its proposals.

Earlier, speaking to The Express Tribune, a JUI-F leader said he had indicated that the possible next move for the PDM would be to complete station-wise rallies and to organize road caravans in the first phase.

He had also indicated that the PDM leaders would also green-light preparatory work for the long march.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1656345/pdm-announces-country-wide-protests-long-march-against-govts-anti-people-policies

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a multi-party opposition alliance — has decided to launch protests across the country as well as a long march towards Islamabad against the government's "anti-people" measures and inflation, according to a statement issued on Saturday by PML-N leader and the alliance's secretary general Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The statement was issued after it was decided in a virtual meeting of the PDM that protest rallies would be held in all provincial capitals.

"A protest will be held in Karachi on November 13, followed by one in Quetta on November 17 and in Peshawar on November 20," Abbasi said, adding that the last rally would be taken out in Lahore, from where protesters would march towards the federal capital.

"This movement will end only after sending [Prime Minister] Imran Khan packing," it stated. "This is a movement to rid [the country] of Imran Khan."

The former prime minister said the overall economic and political situation in the country was discussed during the virtual meeting of the PDM today — which was presided over by the alliance's chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

"[Spiralling] inflation, the National Accountability Ordinance, the so-called electoral reforms ... among other issues came under discussion," Abbasi said, adding that the PDM rejected the increase in the prices of electricity, gas, petrol, wheat flour, ghee, sugar, medicines and other essential commodities.

The PDM demanded that the increase in the prices of electricity, gas, petrol and other commodities be reversed.

"The actual reason behind inflation is the historic corruption by Imran Khan's government," the statement said.

The participants of the meeting demanded that the agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund be made public and resolved to launch a "decisive movement against [the government's] anti-people policies".

"The nation is unwilling to bear this government even for a minute, which has inflicted back-breaking inflation on the people," Abbasi is quoted as saying.

Abbasi said the PDM had also rejected the National Accountability Ordinance, election reforms, electronic voting machines, i-voting, deeming that they were based on mala fide intention.

"This forum considers government measures on non-democratic, so-called electoral reforms a bigger fraud than the 2018 election fraud," he said. "This is a conspiracy to deny the people their right to vote and steal the election."

Abbasi said the PDM resolved to foil the conspiracy of stealing the people's mandate.

He added that the members of the opposition alliance also committed to ensuring overseas Pakistanis' representation in parliament in the true sense.

"A strategy for the protest to foil this government's conspiracy will be prepared, and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has been given the responsibility for devising the roadmap," he said.

Abbasi said the PDM had also demanded immediate legal action against those found responsible for the Daska by-poll fiasco in the inquiry report. The report, he said, proved that the government had stolen votes in the by-election and perpetrated the kidnapping of presiding officers.

"The vote robbers and kidnappers should be punished."

The PDM's announcement of protests against inflation comes as the government continues to face severe criticism by the opposition over the soaring prices of various commodities in the country.

The criticism particularly intensified after Prime Minister Imran approved a Rs8 increase in the price of petrol earlier this month. Major opposition parties, including the PML-N and the PPP, have held countrywide rallies and protests over what they term "unprecedented inflation in the country".

Meanwhile, inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index posted an increase of 1.23 per cent for the week ended on October 28 driven by a sharp rise in the prices of essential food items, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed.

This was the fourth consecutive week that witnessed an upward increase. Earlier, the finance ministry had warned of inflation further rising in the country.

While the prime minister announced a welfare package on Wednesday to mitigate the impact of inflation, the prices of ghee — one of the items the premier had announced would be available at subsidised rates under the new package — were raised simultaneously. The decision was later revoked following an uproar, but the criticism from the opposition continued.

 

[the Great Khan]

Idiots. Just when khan is feeling a bit of pressure coz of inflation the corrupt will allow him back on his original message. NS laid a massive grap for any govt coming next. And unfortunately some of our awaam are taken in by it. But remember the campaign can have a life of its own. The PTI can show off real accomplishments and will have a proper manifesto. The PpP will simply say borrow borrow and make fake public sector jobs while selling zameen for zardari. NS will say privatise everything for my family..then the awaam will cry for ik again. By then it will be Lebanon 2.0.

 

[MenInG]

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the survival of the country was at stake owing to incompetence of the PTI-led government and vowed to not let any stone unturned in efforts to remove it from power.

“If we do not push the ‘illegitimate’ rulers in the Arabian Sea anytime soon, then the survival of country will be in danger,” he said while addressing a rally in Karachi on Saturday.

The rally was organised under the umbrella of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a joint opposition alliance, against the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan for its “anti-people policies” and the rising inflation.

PDM leaders including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mehmood Khan Ackakzai and several others also addressed the hundreds of workers gathered at the Regal Chowk, a busy intersection in the metropolis.

Fazl, who also heads PDM, said all segments of society including businessmen, traders, salaried class, labourers and others are disappointed with the incumbent government.

“Politicians are the hope of the nation. If we do not play our role today, the nation will not forgive us,” he said, adding that the PDM was fighting for the survival of the country.

The PDM chief asked state intuitions to review their “mistakes” and seek apology from the nation. He said the PDM movement will soon restore the rule of genuine representatives of the nation.

Addressing the participants of the rally, PML-N Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said snap and transparent elections were the only way forward in resolving prevailing issues of the country.

He said the ruling PTI came into power through rigged elections and PDM’s struggle was aimed at ensuring supremacy of the Constitution in the country.

Abbasi said people were not ready to accept the “incompetent and illegitimate government”.

Pashtun leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai concurring with other PDM leaders said no nation or country can prosper without the rule of law.

Last week, the PDM announced that it would stage a series of rallies in the provincial capitals and finally a long march from Lahore to Islamabad to overthrow PTI-led government for its “anti-people policies”.

The decision was made at a meeting of the alliance in Islamabad held on November 6.

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif participated in the meeting via video link from London while party President Shehbaz Sharif and Vice President Maryam Nawaz joined the huddle from Lahore.

Other opposition leaders including Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith chief Allama Sajid Mir, PML-N leader and the alliance’s general secretary Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan’s Awais Noorani, Qaumi Watan Party’s Aftab Sherpao, National Party’s Mir Kabeer Ahmed and Balochistan National Party-Mengal’s (BNP-M) Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini were among those in attendance on the occasion.

The meeting mulled the overall political situation, rising inflation, the amended National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) as well as other issues.

The participants deliberated upon the PDM's future course of action against the incumbent government over the ever-rising inflation.

 

[MenInG]

Contrary stances have emerged within the three main opposition parties as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is adamant on toppling the government by initiating a no-confidence motion in the Senate against the upper house chairman while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leaders deny having reached any such agreement.

PML-N parliamentarian Syed Javed Ali Shah talking to The Express Tribune while another PML-N leader Dr Afnan Ullah Khan speaking during a talk show maintained that the opposition parties would initiate a no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman, as the first step towards bringing down the government.

Afnan during the show even went on to say that by initiating a no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman, they would be able to judge if powers-that-be have become neutral again or not. PML-N’s Javed said though the opposition has many other options, targeting the Senate chairman was the first step.

He said that some three dozen Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians from Punjab and K-P had reached out to the PML-N asking for tickets for the next elections. He said if only PML-N gave them an assurance of tickets, they were ready to abandon the PTI.

He said it was usual for the opposition benches to give the government a tough time but interestingly, this government was giving itself a tough time. He said that it was the haste with which they wanted to pass a number of bills that even startled their allies, who now were openly expressing their reservations with the workings of the government.

PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor on the other hand claimed that no such decision has been reached by the opposition parties. He said that there were many options with the opposition parties and the decision of what option should be exercised, would be taken with consensus.

He said that they have proved that a change can be brought about from within the National Assembly. When asked about allegations of double dealing leveled against the PML-N by another PPP leader, he said that an improving working relationship does not mean all their issues and concerns have been addressed.

PPP Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza said that if the PML-N wants senate to be the first step, then they should show us the numbers needed for the job. He said that the fact is that PML-N had never wanted to bring any change, adding that if it had wanted to bring change, it would have done it by now.

He said that keeping in view PML-N’s track record, we must make sure that they don’t use PPP’s support to get a seat on the higher table. He said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been ditched by opposition parties many times, but still he was ready to stand by them again in the interest of the country.

JUI-F Leader Maulana Mohammad Amjad Khan claimed that Bilawal Bhutto during his meeting with JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, talked about bringing a no-confidence motion against the government. He said Maulana has agreed to take the idea up with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders in the upcoming meeting.

He said it was agreed that the government needs to be sent packing at the earliest and an in-house change was a conditionally agreeable method. He said that the strategy of how to send the government packing was yet to be devised, adding that there are numerous options with the opposition parties and any decision in this regard would only be taken with consensus.

 

[Bewal Express]

Has Najam Sethi the crooked Budha predicted the next date yet? He seems to have been predicting this every day for the last 3 years.

 

[DRsohail]

Has Najam Sethi the crooked Budha predicted the next date yet? He seems to have been predicting this every day for the last 3 years.

The corrupt tola has been Changing the dates, Hamid Mir what lies he has been spreading.

 

[Savak]

Lol sometimes I feel the PDM falls victim to the hype and propaganda of their lifafas in the media where as a result they become deluded about the actual situation in their surroundings

 

[MenInG]

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday announced a countrywide protest campaign against inflation and energy crisis from December 10, saying that his party would take up the issues at various forums to resist the “anti-people” policies of the “IMF-led” federal government.

"Until the time this government is in power and the [economic] decisions are made as per the agreement with the IMF [International Monetary Fund], the miseries of the people will not come to an end," he said while addressing a news conference at the Sindh CM’s House.

Bilawal, who was flanked by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Murtaza Wahab and MNA Shazia Atta Marri, elaborated that the countrywide protests would be started from December 10 and last till December 17.

"Our struggle against the ‘puppet’ government and its ‘flawed’ policies will continue and we will announce our further line of action on the death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on December 27 in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh," he added.

"I believe, the people will continue to suffer until this selected government’s rule remains and the IMF deal goes on. It’s the PPP’s mission to expose the poverty and unemployment the country is currently facing, and the party will keep protesting against atrocities including the rising fuel prices and shortage of gas.”

The PPP chairman also criticised the federal government for not giving the Sindh government its due share from the divisible pool.

“We will snatch our rights if they don’t give them to us. With more resources in our hands, we can spend more on the development in Karachi and other districts of Sindh.”

He confidently announced that the PPP would form the government in the Centre and all provinces after the next general elections.

"My mother and I were born in Karachi. I hope that people of the city will also vote us in local government elections too.”

Talking about the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021 recently passed by the Sindh Assembly, Bilawal said the new law would empower the local bodies.

“The promises made with the people of Karachi would be met under the law.”

Bilawal emphasised that to deliver to the people of Karachi, a local government system was necessary.

"Sindh is the only province in which the local government has completed its term for the first time. Now under the new local government system, education, health and all other institutions will be accountable to the local bodies.”

He maintained that division in towns would help in managing the city better and this had become evident from the results.

“Murtaza Wahab has delivered just a few months after he was elected.”

He also said that once the PPP formed the government, further improvements would be made to the country.

“We will collect property tax worth Rs1 billion from Karachi. If the local body is able to collect this amount, we will be able to generate a large amount of revenue to cater to the problems of the people.”

The PPP chairman also claimed that his party would not mix politics with religion. “It is essential for everyone to work together in order to achieve success. People are trying to divide us based on our languages.”

Bilawal also objected to the ethnicity-based divisions in Sindh. Responding to a question about the wall chalking and banners in Karachi against the people of Sindh in the wake of the amendments to the LG law, he said: "We have to eliminate [MQM founder] Altaf Hussain’s politics from the city.”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233300...de-protest-drive-against-pti-govt-from-dec-17

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2336807/pdm-mulling-changing-date-of-pakistan-day-protest-in-islamabad

The “inflation march” of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is likely to be postponed due to the second phase of local bodies elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Express News reported on Sunday quoting sources.

In December, the PDM, an alliance of opposition parties, had announced staging protest on March 23 against the PTI-led government in Islamabad.

But now sources in the PDM have told Express News that the date of opposition’s long march can be rescheduled due to the local government polls in K-P on March 27. “However, final decision will be taken by the top leadership following their upcoming meeting,” they added.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman while addressing a press conference in Peshawar has confirmed that, saying that the consultation in this regard was under way with the provincial leaders of the opposition alliance.

He said all constituent parties of the PDM were ready to march on Islamabad, however, the final date of the protest will be decided by the PDM leadership in the upcoming meeting.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had urged the PDM to change its date of protest as every year on March 23 military parade is held in the federal capital to mark the Pakistan Day celebrations.

However, the PDM had refused to reschedule the long march date and warned the authorities against using force to bar protesters from entering the federal capital.

Time and again, the PDM announced holding countrywide protests against the ruling PTI but hasn’t yet been able to fully come out of its preparation mode and actually make a dent.

Instead, it lost two of its allies – the PPP and the ANP – along the way a year after its formation and got itself labelled “as dead as a dodo”.

The JUI-F chief said that “movement means continuous struggle”, but avoided giving a final date for the decisive anti-government march and protest that has long been projected as final steps in dislodging the government.

Fazl, who also heads the PDM, further said that the ‘incompetent government’ had ruined the economy of the country, adding that people were finding it difficult to live due to inflation. “Today, people are committing suicide due to inflation, no discussion has been held on mini-budget,” he remarked.

The supplementary finance bill, passed by the National Assembly last week, should have gone to the standing committee, said the JUI-F chief. “Through the bill, the State Bank of Pakistan will be controlled by the IMF,” he added.

Fazl said they never considered the PPP as an opponent. “We consider the PPP and the ANP as part of the opposition… our demand is for general elections, and we have a consensus with the PPP on overthrowing the government," he said.

The PTI suffered its worst defeat in the local body elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said the JUI-F chief whose party emerged as the single-largest in the last month’s elections. “The results of the KP local body elections have proved that the people are no longer ready to tolerate this government. They [PTI] will suffer even worst defeat in the next phase.”

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2338186/ppp-unlikely-to-become-part-of-pdm-again-zardari

Former president and co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said that the PPP is unlikely to become part of the joint opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), again.

Speaking to media persons after getting a pre-arrest bail in the New York Property case, the former president said he doesn't know for sure but the chances of the PPP becoming a part of the PDM are rather slim.

Referring to the anti-government alliance's long march on Islamabad scheduled to be held on March 23, Zardari said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also leads the PDM, has marched in the past as well.

The comments by the former president came a day after a meeting between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and the PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was held in Islamabad.

During the meeting, both parties agreed to launch anti-government protests to send the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) packing. The meeting was organised after PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif agreed to an in-house change.

Speaking about the PTI government, Zardari said he was against the PTI government from the very first day. He said he was hopeful about the in-house change as well. In a reference to the PTI, he said the government is made up of "imprudent individuals" who are not fit to rule and this has now been proved by recent history.

According to the PPP co-chairman, the government cannot do anything to facilitate people.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2340395/pdms-pakistan-day-march-will-be-last-nail-in-pti-govts-coffin

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the joint opposition alliance, has once again reiterated that it will hold an ‘inflation march’ in Islamabad on March 23 despite the government’s repeated warnings to reschedule the protest date.

“People from every nook and corner of the country will march towards Islamabad and the protest will be the last nail in the coffin of the incumbent rulers,” JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday.

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday urged the PDM to reschedule its ‘inflation march’ from March 23 to any other date citing security concerns.

He said the government would not allow terrorists to ruin the peace of the country. “This land is as important to you [opposition] as it is to [PM] Imran Khan, so I urge you to please reschedule your march,” he added.

Fazl, who also heads the PDM, was addressing a press conference in the federal capital following a meeting of the heads of constituent parties of the alliance.

While responding to a question, Fazl said the PDM rally would enter Islamabad in the afternoon while the Pakistan Day parade ended in the morning.

Speaking about the ruling PTI’s foreign funding case, the PDM chief said that PM Imran has been found guilty of concealing 22 accounts from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

He also urged the poll organising authority to conduct a day-to-day hearing in the foreign funding case and disqualify PM Imran and ban his political party.

Referring to the Transparency International report released earlier today, Fazl said a global corruption watchdog has exposed the “artificial honesty” of the ruling PTI.

The PDM leader said the joint opposition alliance only believed in using democratic and constitutional options to elect or topple any government.

On PPP’s suggestion of tabling a no-confidence motion against PM Imran in the National Assembly, Fazl said no decision in this regard has been taken so far.

Earlier this month, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also announced taking out a long march on Islamabad next month, saying it would weigh heavily on the PTI government and stressed that it would achieve its goal.

Bilawal also reviewed the arrangements and preparations for the long march, which would set out on February 27 from the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam.

It was decided that the participation of millions of people in the long march would be ensured.

Addressing the meeting, Bilawal said that the PPP had declared war on the PTI government, which he termed an enemy of the people. He added that the long march against “this incompetent government” would start from the Mazar-e-Quaid and culminate in Islamabad to achieve its objectives.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the opposition’s long march will continue despite the government’s “tactics” and “propaganda”.

In a meeting with party leaders Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, who called on him at Bilawal House on Saturday, the PPP chief was briefed on the preparations for the march on February 27. After a detailed discussion on the goals of the movement, he also gave ‘important tasks’ to Gilani and Ashraf in relation to the planned march.

Bilawal said that before the march, propaganda against PPP has started from various quarters and the “selected” government is targeted the PPP from Karachi to Islamabad. He, however, made it clear that his party would go ahead with the march despite the government’s “tactics” and “propaganda”. Separately, the scion of the Bhutto dynasty had a telephonic conversation with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

The PPP chief expressed concern over the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president’s health.
Bilawal also expressed his best wishes for Shehbaz’s recovery. On Friday, The Express Tribune reported that the party was considering various proposals, including those favouring either prolonging or condensing the march.

Earlier this month, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Information Secretary Shazia Marri, on behalf of the party, extended an invitation to like-minded parties to join the march.
It is worth mentioning here that while the PPP has spoken about marching to Islamabad against the government, it has not spoken about its next plan of action.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2341113/long-march-to-go-ahead-despite-propaganda

 

[Bewal Express]

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the opposition’s long march will continue despite the government’s “tactics” and “propaganda”.

In a meeting with party leaders Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, who called on him at Bilawal House on Saturday, the PPP chief was briefed on the preparations for the march on February 27. After a detailed discussion on the goals of the movement, he also gave ‘important tasks’ to Gilani and Ashraf in relation to the planned march.

Bilawal said that before the march, propaganda against PPP has started from various quarters and the “selected” government is targeted the PPP from Karachi to Islamabad. He, however, made it clear that his party would go ahead with the march despite the government’s “tactics” and “propaganda”. Separately, the scion of the Bhutto dynasty had a telephonic conversation with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

The PPP chief expressed concern over the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president’s health.
Bilawal also expressed his best wishes for Shehbaz’s recovery. On Friday, The Express Tribune reported that the party was considering various proposals, including those favouring either prolonging or condensing the march.

Earlier this month, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Information Secretary Shazia Marri, on behalf of the party, extended an invitation to like-minded parties to join the march.
It is worth mentioning here that while the PPP has spoken about marching to Islamabad against the government, it has not spoken about its next plan of action.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2341113/long-march-to-go-ahead-despite-propaganda

Billo is a joke. This pathetic little boy that got selected because of his lineage doesnt have a clue. His party rule in Sindh and that is a mess. Why doesnt he actually sort out Sindh?

 

[MenInG]

JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said the opposition alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) -- would never support the presidential system in the country.

Addressing a gathering in Mianwali, Fazl, who also heads the PDM, said PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, and he could meet with other parties under this authority.

The JUI-F chief maintained that the foundation of change had been laid after his party’s success in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa local government elections.

“The JUI-F does not recognise the illegitimate government of PTI and we will get rid of it,” he added.

The Maulana said the PDM would never accept the presidential system.

Fazl said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a great project, but not functioning for three years.

“Our Majlis-e-Shura will decide on the strategy for the local body elections in Punjab.”

A day earlier, Fazl said his party would restart work on CPEC once it was voted to power.

He was addressing a rally at Yark Interchange in DI Khan in connection with the local bodices’ polls despite the fact that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and district administration had not allowed the JUF-F to stage a gathering in the district.

He blamed the current government for stopping work on a strategic project like CPEC.

He said the development of backward areas was the priority of his party and announcing an uplift package for an area ahead of elections was tantamount to buying votes.

“This is unjust, but still practiced by the present government,” he added.

“In the three years of PTI rule a common man is unable to buy medicines,” he claimed, adding that holding the local government polls in two phases was aimed at turning the tide towards the PTI.

“We defeated them in the first phase and we will do it in the second phase too.”

Fazl hit out at the PTI government and said it had introduced four “mini budgets” in three and a half years of its rule.

(With input from DNA)

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman has hinted at changing the long march plan if the opposition finalises the date of a no-trust move against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

Rehman, while talking to journalists in Khanpur on Monday, said that PDM long march would no longer be needed to be held if the date of the no-trust move is finalised.

The PDM head said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had departed due to ailment and he would return to the country after recovering. He added that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid did not consult him prior to departing abroad nor he would get his opinion to return home.

“Asif Ali Zardari is currently admitted at a hospital but we will meet him soon. We will announce the date of the no-trust move after holding consultations. We have expedited our contacts with the ally parties of the government,” Rehman maintained.

 

[MenInG]

Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that he had suggested Prime Minister Imran Khan impose governor’s rule in Sindh.

“Horse-trading is being carried out openly... the Sindh House has been exposed,” Rashid said while speaking to the media in Islamabad on Thursday.

“On February 25, 2009, on the recommendation of the then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, then president Asif Ali Zardari under Article 237 of the Constitution imposed a governor rule in Punjab against the government of Shehbaz Sharif. The governor rule has been imposed in Sindh province for three times until now,” Rashid said in a tweet.

He went on to say that there is no other option than imposing governor rule in Sindh because the “Sindh government is openly violating the Constitution through horse-trading”.

“Blackmailers and vote-sellers no longer deserve any leniency. Prime Minister Imran Khan will have to impose the governor rule,” he added.

His statement comes after PTI dissident lawmaker Raja Riaz confirmed that as many as 24 ruling PTI MNAs are staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad due to “security concerns”.

He also rejected the reports that the federal government is planning to conduct a raid on the Sindh House.

Later, Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar said that come what may Prime Minister Imran Khan will not be “blackmailed by anyone”.

“We will take all actions in line with law and Constitution,” he said while referring to the dissident PTI lawmakers staying at the Sindh House.

“We [government] have billions of rupees and can buy the loyalties of their [opposition] lawmakers but we will not stoop to his level and give ministries to anyone to seek their support,” Energy Minister Hammad Azhar said who along with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was also present at the occasion.


“Whatever is happening in the Sindh House is not the voice of conscience but a voice of money,” he added.

Hammad said the “dirty tactics” of the opposition’s politics has been exposed badly.

While responding to a question, Umar said that the option of imposing the governor’s rule in Sindh is not deliberated upon by the ruling party members.

“However, the actions of the Sindh government are a flagrant violation of the Constitution and we could have retaliated but we exercised restraint.

Speaking on the occasion, Fawad confirmed the development saying that Rashid as an ally of the PTI-led coalition government floated an idea of imposing the governor’s rule in Sindh.

“The option is on the table but we have not yet held a consultation on his [Rashid] suggestion,” he added.

Umar said the government is also in talks with opposition lawmakers to seek their support to foil the no-trust move. “But unlike them [opposition], we will not use money.”

Fawad went on to say that the culture of horse-trading in politics was “introduced” by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

“This type of politics is a model of Nawaz and Zardari who used the money to make and break governments… but we will not use such tactics and make any compromise on our principles to save our government,” he added.

He also lashed out at dissident PTI lawmakers saying “shameless MNAs should step down and contest elections independently”.

Earlier in the day while addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Rashid claimed that "some individuals" are present inside the Sindh House and that people are engaging in horse-trading there.

“Those who make money by selling their conscience will not be successful,” he said, adding, “Honest people stand together in difficult times. The umpires are neutral and the MNAs will decide whether to vote for or against the no-trust motion”.

The minister expressed his confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan's success; “win or lose, I will stand with him”, he added.

'Assault' on Sindh House

Moreover, the Pakistan Peoples Party alleged that the PTI-led government is planning an 'assault' on Sindh House in Islamabad, a day after PM Imran said the opposition is present at the premises with ‘bags full of money’ to ‘buy loyalties of government lawmakers’.

The accusations were made in a joint statement by PPP MNAs Abdul Qadir Patel, Abdul Qadir Mandokhel, Abid Hussain Bhayo, Javed Shah Jilani, Ehsan Mazari, Naveed Dero and Mehreen Bhutto.

“After the brutal incident of Parliament Lodges, the government is now preparing to attack the Sindh House,” the statement read, adding that Premier Imran’s government is bent on 'carrying out terrorism'.

Intensifying speculation and giving no definite answer, PML-Q leader Pervez Elahi earlier confirmed horse-trading by the opposition, saying that around 10-12 government lawmakers were in the “safe custody” of the opposition.

 

[MenInG]

Senior PPP leader and secretary-general Farhatullah Babar urged the joint Opposition to reconsider its plan to hold a jalsa on March 28 in Islamabad in response to PTI’s power show on Sunday.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Babar wrote: “[The] Opposition should seriously rethink plans to hold jalsa in Islamabad on 27th.”

“Imran Khan is on the run anyway. Deny him the wish to create mayhem, run away from no trust, derail democracy and then claim political martyrdom. He deserves political death, not martyrdom,” the senior PPP leader wrote.

Meanwhile, sources privy to the matter told Daily Dawn that reservations had been conveyed formally to PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N Vice President Shahbaz Sharif regarding their planned public meeting in Islamabad.

Read more: PM Imran Khan invites nation to join him on March 27 in special message

A senior PPP office-bearer told the publication on the condition of anonymity that the party had decided not to give a call to its workers to participate in the long march and the opposition’s public meeting.

“PPP believed that after the Supreme Court decided to stop the PTI from holding the public meeting at D-Chowk, there was no need for them to hold public gatherings,” he said, adding that such a move could provide PTI with an opportunity to further delay the vote on the no-confidence motion.

He further added that some “undemocratic forces” could also take advantage of the situation and the country could face an “unforeseen incident”.

The senior leader told the newspaper that since the joint Opposition has the required numbers to make the no-confidence motion a success, there was no need to hold a public gathering.

“Now, when the PTI has shifted its venue to Parade Ground in line with the court’s directives and it has also assured the court that no member will be stopped from casting their vote, we should also call off our march and public meeting,” he said.

GEO

 

[Bewal Express]

Look at the pathetic crowd for the clown. Maybe some of the stolen billions can be spent on buying a crowd.

 

[daytrader]

Look at the pathetic crowd for the clown. Maybe some of the stolen billions can be spent on buying a crowd.

They don't got any money left. They spent it all on buying MNAs

 

[moghul]

They don't got any money left. They spent it all on buying MNAs ������

And they blaming IK for making those MNA so expensive to buy , last time their rates were Rs 40 Million for MNA and 20 Million for MPA and now MNA's asking for 180 millions and MPA for 100 Million .

I heard JKT bought many MNA in a package deal for 40 millions/MNA and now he is selling them for 180 million/MNA. That's nor fair. Things are so bad PPP and PML leaders had to spend some of their own money to buy them.

 

[Kaddy]

And they blaming IK for making those MNA so expensive to buy , last time their rates were Rs 40 Million for MNA and 20 Million for MPA and now MNA's asking for 180 millions and MPA for 100 Million .

I heard JKT bought many MNA in a package deal for 40 millions/MNA and now he is selling them for 180 million/MNA. That's nor fair. Things are so bad PPP and PML leaders had to spend some of their own money to buy them.

Are they MNA or crypto.

 

[wasim-fan]

It’s done. The question is will he be able to come back to active politics. Foreign funding cases will now be opened and he will be isolated and sent away IMO.

 

[Bewal Express]

It’s done. The question is will he be able to come back to active politics. Foreign funding cases will now be opened and he will be isolated and sent away IMO.

The Foreign funding case is much worse against the Nooras and PPP and they don't have any records at all.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday addressed a rally after reaching the federal capital and said that he is "well aware of Imran Khan's agenda."

"We are well aware that your agenda is to take out Islam’s funeral from Pakistan as you want to recognise Israel," the JUI-F chief alleged.

He said that Imran Khan's "agenda" was to close all madrassas but instead, thousands of them opened up across the country.

"You were serving the same agenda that began during General Musharraf's tenure. You’re were imposed on Pakistan as the last agent for this agenda so Islamic clauses contained in the Constitution of Pakistan could be eliminated.

"You used foreign money to misguide the youth of Pakistan," adding that the United States has sent "such agents" all over the Islamic world.

"We are now announcing our win and your defeat," Fazl sent a message to Prime Minister Imran Khan before a charged crowd.

Taking a jibe at PM Imran Khan's earlier statement, when he had said that he'd "surprise" the Opposition during his speech, Fazl said that the only surprise was the news of Shah*zain Bugti parting ways with the PTI.

"Imran Khan, you have sold the sovereignty of my country by becoming a slave to the International Monetary Fund," he said.

GEO

 

[PetroDollars]

The answer to the question asked in the OP is obvious and it has happened, of course they can topple the gov. as they now have the numbers, but then IK has his trump card which has become obvious now to any political astute person, he will make all his MNAs resign from the parliament making it defunct.

 

[MenInG]

Job done.