Next PDM huddle on 11 November: Noorani

Subsequent plan of action to be decided at the meeting

LAHORE:

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will sketch out its next plan of action during the upcoming huddle of the alliance on 11 November, General Secretary Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Shah Owais Noorani said, adding that during the huddle they will also discuss the timelines for starting the preparatory work for a long march.

A leader of the PDM Shah Owais Noorani, met with President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Shehbaz Sharif at the latter’s residence in Lahore. Noorani talking to The Express Tribune said that he had an hour and a half long meeting with president PML-N, during which they discussed current and administrative issues confronting Pakistan.

He said they both agreed to the fact that free and fair elections were the need of the hour, for which the opposition was ready to hold consultation with other opposition parties.

However when asked if this open door policy would allow PDM to start engaging Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) on the shared agenda of taking down Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he said that for ensuring free and fair elections, they were open to consultation.

He said that the next plan of action for PDM would be devised in the upcoming huddle on 11 November adding that the said meeting is being hosted by PML-N in Islamabad.

He stated that the agenda of the meeting would be published in the coming day or two but the main purpose of the huddle would be to chalk out its next plan of action.

He said that PDM leaders might also green light preparatory work for the long march and also decide upon the next schedule of rallies. Asked if there were any new rallies planned in the near future, he said that there were no planned PDM rallies in the offing. Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will be holding an Ijtema on 8 November in Waziristan, so their leadership was busy, he added.

He said that protest rallies in many districts of the country were yet to be organized, so the first priority would be to give a schedule for that. Furthermore, he said that the next possible plan to build pressure on the government would be to hold what he termed as ‘road caravans’.

He said that PDM Chief Maulana Fazl Ur Rehman had spoken of road caravans earlier during his addresses. He said that according to his reading of the situation, the long march would be decided upon in the upcoming meeting.

According to media reports, Shehbaz Sharif talking to Noorani at his residence said that the nation has high expectations from PDM. Shehbaz said that the people are fed up of inflation and PDM will become the voice of the nation adding that PDM is playing a historic role under Maulana Fazl Ur Rehman.

Shehbaz Sharif said despite the fact that people are failing to make ends meet, the government is looking helpless due to its incompetence and corruption. Shehbaz appreciated Shah Owais Noorani’s efforts for PDM and thanked him for his hospitality at the PDM Karachi meeting.