JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been appointed as the head of the newly-formed Pakistan Democratic Movement.
The decision was taken at an online meeting of the joint opposition alliance. According to the opposition lawmakers, the PDM will hold its first gathering in Quetta on Oct 11.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in a bid to oust the government has decided phase-wise protests against the ruling PTI. They also demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
PDM announced that the opposition parties would launch a three-phased anti-government movement from next month, with countrywide public meetings, protest demonstrations and rallies in December, and a ‘decisive’ long march towards Islamabad in January 2021.
The opposition said it would enlist lawyers, traders, farmers, students, media as well as members of the civil society in its movement against the government.
The resolution said the opposition parties will use every ‘legal and constitutional option in and out of parliament, which include moving no-confidence motions and collective resignations from assemblies at an appropriate time’, the resolution stated.
The opposition parties have failed to reach a consensus on the nomination of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the head of the newly-formed Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
In a meeting of the Rehbar Committee on Wednesday, some political parties suggested that Fazl be appointed as the head of the PDM. At this, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) representatives added that it was beyond Rehbar Committee’s mandate to appoint someone as the head of the newly-formed alliance.
The meeting that was convened as a follow-up on Sunday’s all-parties conference proposed the formation of three committees — headed by the leaders of smaller opposition parties– on various issues.
Express Tribune reported that it was decided in the meeting that smaller parties should be given broader representation, including the leadership of the three proposed committees. “The participants also proposed that smaller parties should be authorised to contact other parties.”
The report claimed that one committee would deal with parliamentary issues, such as no-confidence motions and resignation of the lawmakers; the second committee would handle anti-government protests and chalk out relevant strategy, while the third will be tasked with the coordination among the parties.
The Rehbar committee demanded of the top leadership to formulate the PDM structure soon and work out a strategy. The meeting recommended that the central leaders be consulted online if they were not available for any reason.
