Daily Times

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday said that the anti-government alliance has decided on a “long march” towards Islamabad on March 26.

Addressing a press conference after an important meeting of the alliance to mull over several strategies in its anti-government campaign, Fazl said the parties had also decided to contest the Senate elections together. They “will not go against each other’s candidates”, he said. “Our candidates will be jointly decided.”

According to sources, the long march will be termed “mehengai march” (march against inflation).

The PDM chief said that the movement “rejects” the open ballot method of Senate polls and the constitutional amendment to bring it about. “The opposition believes in the overall package of election reforms,” he said.

“It seems as if PTI does not believe in its members and the PTI leadership wishes to make such unsavoury people senators that their own members are not willing to vote for them,” Fazl remarked.

Speaking of inflation, he said that PDM had decided that electricity, gas and petroleum costs have skyrocketed and “made the lives of people difficult”.

“We will continue to stand by the people shoulder-to-shoulder against these illegitimate rulers and are ready to give any sacrifice required to bring them out of this difficult situation,” the PDM chief said.

He also said that PDM “rejects” the formation of the commission to probe the Broadsheet scandal and considers it an attempt to “conceal their corruption”.

Fazl said that the way the development funds were being distributed, it seemed as if Imran Khan had forgotten how “he would consider this bribery” in the past. “Now the Supreme Court judges have taken a suo motu notice, the dissemination of these funds should be stopped.”

He said the government employees will be protesting in Islamabad on February 10 and all those people who demonstrate against the government will find support from the PDM.

The PDM chief said that in the foreign funding case against the PTI, 23 accounts were brought to attention, “but 18 are being hidden”. “The talk of an open trial of the matter was nothing but a drama and has no standing,” he added.

“This is why he (Imran Khan) can no longer be termed saadiq (honest) and ameen (trustworthy) and his government must be declared illegal and justice demands a prompt decision in this regard, otherwise it is the murder of justice,” said Fazl.

He said that in parliament, the opposition’s protests will continue and there will be “no cooperation” with the government towards parliamentary proceedings.

The PDM chief, criticising the government over the recent corruption rankings given by Transparency International, said that Imran Khan would laud the agency for its transparent findings and how “whomever it declares a thief is a thief”, and now he himself has been “declared the most corrupt man”. “He has been declared a certified thief.”

Prior to the press conference a meeting between senior party leaders was held in Islamabad, lasting nearly six hours.

PPP’s delegation included Bilawal Bhutto, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Farhatullah Babar. From PML-N, the party’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Rana Sanaullah were present.

Sources said that other options, including a no-confidence motion were also debated over at the meeting.Earlier, Fazl and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had reportedly spoken over the phone. Sources said the two leaders had consultations over the anti-government movement. Nawaz is said to have agreed with the proposals put forward by Fazl, giving assurances to the PDM chief of PML-N’s full support on whatever PDM decides.