ISLAMABAD: The leadership of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is mulling a proposal to postpone the ‘inflation march’ to some later date.
It is pertinent to note that in December, the PDM had announced staging protest on March 23 against the PTI-led government in Islamabad.
Sources privy to the development have told Pakistan Today that the PDM leadership has been advised to postpone the protest keeping in view the likely arrival of some special guests to attend the March 23 parade.
The sources said that China’s special fleet of J-10 jets would also partake in the parade.
Howeevr, a PDM leader said that the PDM may postpone the march due to the second phase of local bodies polls in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
However, as per the recent development revealed by the sources in the PDM, the date of the long march can be rescheduled, or postponed due to the local government polls in KP on March 27.
“However, final decision will be taken by the top leadership in the upcoming meeting of the alliance,” sources revealed.
It is to note that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman while addressing a presser in Peshawar has confirmed that the consultation in this regard is under way with the provincial leaders of the opposition alliance.
He went on to state that all constituent parties of the PDM were ready to march on Islamabad, however, the final date of the protest will be decided by the PDM leadership in the upcoming meeting.
It is pertinent to note that soon after the announcement by the PDM to stage a protest on the Pakistan Day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had urged the party to change its date of protest as every year on March 23 military parade is held in the federal capital to mark the Pakistan Day celebrations.
PDM outrightly refused to acknowledge Rasheed’s remarks and warned the authorities against using force to bar protesters from entering Islamabad.
Fazl, who also heads the PDM, further said that the ‘incompetent government’ had ruined the economy of the country, adding that people were finding it difficult to live due to inflation. “Today, people are committing suicide due to inflation, no discussion has been held on mini-budget,” he remarked.
The PTI suffered its worst defeat in the local body elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said the JUI-F chief whose party emerged as the single-largest in the last month’s elections. “The results of the KP local body elections have proved that the people are no longer ready to tolerate this government. They [PTI] will suffer even worst defeat in the next phase.”
The JUI-F chief said that “movement means continuous struggle”, but avoided giving a final date for the decisive anti-government march and protest that has long been projected as final steps in dislodging the government.
The supplementary finance bill, passed by the National Assembly last week, should have gone to the standing committee, said the JUI-F chief. “Through the bill, the State Bank of Pakistan will be controlled by the IMF,” he added.
Fazl said they never considered the PPP as an opponent. “We consider the PPP and the ANP as part of the opposition… our demand is for general elections, and we have a consensus with the PPP on overthrowing the government,” he said.
