PDM meeting to be held today

Sources say Nawaz and Shehbaz agreed in talks to revive the alliance

LAHORE:

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership meeting will be held on Wednesday (today) in Islamabad to devise a future strategy of the opposition alliance and give date for the remaining rallies that got delayed due to resurgence of coronavirus, JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Amjad Khan said.

On Sunday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had confirmed that an emergency meeting of the PDM had been called to plan the upcoming countrywide agitation against the government.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, who will lead his party in the opposition alliance’s meeting, is expected to be accompanied by senior party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Nawaz league Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who in the past had been representing her party in PDM meetings and rallies, has still not completely recovered from coronavirus.

Maulana Amjad, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that a PDM meeting would be held on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing political situation and devise a future strategy of the alliance.

He maintained that the meeting will also discuss the dates for the remaining PDM rallies that got delayed due to the pandemic and that all the constituent parties of the opposition alliance had been informed of the decision.

“Since ANP and PPP are not the constituent parties [of PDM], they have not been invited,” Maulana Amjad said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PDM that by last quarter of 2020 was looked upon as the most potent threat to the PTI rule, lost all traction back in January this year, when fractures in its alliance emerged (between PML-N and PPP) and all commitments made about resigning from assemblies were withdrawn.

Since then, Fazl, the chief of own faction, JUI-F, and head of the opposition alliance, had been rearing to revive the movement without the PPP and ANP.

Meanwhile, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, and his brother Shehbaz on Tuesday appeared to be on the same page, agreeing in talks to revive the PDM and step up efforts to topple the incumbent regime.

Sources noted that Shehbaz would convene an intra-party meeting prior to the PDM meeting.

Sources further said that Sharif had directed Shehbaz to mobilise the PML-N ranks to ramp up efforts in their anti-government campaign.