PDM to decide fate of anti-govt campaign today

Important meeting of opposition alliance expected to make major decisions

LAHORE:

An important huddle of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will be held on Monday (today) in Islamabad that would decide the fate of the anti-movement as the main parties in the opposition alliance still seem to be divided over the option of giving en masse resignation, The Express Tribune has learnt.

A leader of a component party said the JUI-F and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) had sought a long march followed by en masse resignations, while the PML-N wanted the latter option to be withheld for now. The leader added that they did not see any advantage of staging a long march without resignations.

He said en masse resignations from assemblies have long been a bone of contention between the PML-N and other component parties. “It was the issue of the resignations that had delayed long march earlier,” he added. “The matter will be taken up at the meeting.”

The leader said all parties in principle had sought the approval of their central executive committees for the option of long march and resignations. “Hopefully, things will not go towards a breaking point.”
He said the PDM steering committee was likely to propose a long march during the second week of February till the first two weeks of March.

He added that if the PML-N did not want to participate in the long march, it would have to convince other parties in the PDM. “Other parties are convinced that the long march will be of no use without the resignations.”

READ PDM steering committee voices support for long march, resignations

He said as per the proposal, they might stage a brief sit-in in Islamabad.

Shah Owais Noorani of the JUP told The Express Tribune that the PDM steering committee had discussed the activities prior to the long march that would be proposed to the leadership at the meeting.

He added that the date and modalities of the march would be decided at the meeting.
“All parties have agreed on en masse resignations, however when should this option be exercised is again left for the leadership meeting to decide.”

The JUP leader said in his view without resignations, the long march would not yield the expected results. “Prior to the long march, we have proposed rallies, seminar and symposiums in all four provinces.”

PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb said the decision on the long march and resignations would be made during the PDM meeting. She rejected the impression that the PML-N was shying away from resignations.

“A collective decision would be made tomorrow.”

To a query, Aurangzeb said party vice president Maryam Nawaz would participate in the meeting via video link.