by MANSOOR ALI in The Nation, Dec 8, 2020
ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) unlikely to go straight for the option of en-mass resignations from the Assemblies and will exhaust other options before resignations.
The sources within the PDM confirmed that many parties were in favour of the resignations but few parties were still reluctant to use the option of resignations and wanted to pursue other options in the first phase.
The source further revealed that the final future strategy against the Imran Khan government to be formed in today’s meeting of PDM; adding, that all the parties were agreed on the point to get rid of Prime Minister Imran Khan with no further delay.
Meanwhile, Awami National Party’s (ANP) senior leader Samar Haroon Bilour told The Nation that all their Parliamentarians from ANP had already submitted their resignations with the party leadership and will follow the decision of PDM.
She stated that they had no other way but to get rid of the incumbent government as it has failed to deliver and keep their long and tall promises they had done with the people of Pakistan.
While answering a question she said that few parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was not willing to go for the option of resignations from assemblies and wanted to consider options in the first line strategy.
However, PPP’s senior leader Nayyer Bukhari rejected the perception regarding the reluctance of PPP from resignations and told The Nation that PPP will follow the decision of the PDM, adding, that they will go for the option of en-mass resignation if the leadership of the alliance was opting for this option.
He said that en-masse resignation from the Assemblies was one of the main points in the party’s agenda and will opt for the option with a proper planning and preparation.
It is important to mention here that the idea of the resignations from the assemblies was firstly introduced by JUI’s Chief Maulana Fazl Rehman right after the 2018 general elections but all the opposition parties had opposed such move and were of view that fight against the government inside the parliament was the best option.
During the JUI’s Azadi March back in October 2019, all the parties were asked to submit their resignations, but the majority of the parties once again opposed the move and no party except JUI was in favour of the dissolution of Assemblies.
On the other hand the government has been challenging the PDM over the resignations and termed it as a tactic to put pressure on the government as Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his recent statement has said that there was confusion among the ranks of PDM.
He maintained that if PDM was seriously committed to resign, then they should do it in the Tuesday’s meeting and nobody will stop them from doing so, he added.
