by Mian Abrar in Pakistan Today, Dec 10, 2020
ISLAMABAD: Differences and mistrust between the parties of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have forced the opposition alliance to postpone its previous decision to announce the en masse resignations of its lawmakers during its Lahore rally on December 13.
Reportedly, the alliance meeting held on December 8 had to postpone the announcement of the resignations as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told the meeting that its lawmakers in Sindh Assembly would not tender resignations as the party was ruling the province.
Bilawal also told the meeting that the party couldn’t decide on the issue of resignations of its members of National Assembly (MNAs) without consulting them. Furthermore, Bilawal disagreed with proposal floated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif at the meeting, who had suggested that all resignations should be submitted with PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Instead, Bilawal argued that each party leader should collect the resignations of the party lawmakers and they would be submitted once all the parties gathered the resignations.
After listening to the PPP’s perspective, Fazl said that there was a need for further deliberations over the issue leading to the postponement of resignations.
Moreover, Nawaz Sharif reportedly suggested that the PDM alliance should contest elections as an entity and all the opposition parties should be given a share in the government if the alliance wins the upcoming general elections.
The meeting also discussed other measures to be taken by the PDM.
The 11-party alliance discussed a proposal to carry out a long march in January when the harsh weather conditions would normalise and temperatures would rise.
The PPP chairman purportedly seemed reluctant regarding extreme measures like resignations and a long march but he wished to remain a part of the opposition alliance.
The matter of resignations from assemblies has reportedly not gone well within the PML-N ranks and dissenting voices have started to emerge from within the party.
PML-N lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly Jalil Sharaqpuri and Maulana Ghayasuddin have announced they will defy the party decision. Talking to media persons, Jalil Sharaqpuri said that if the party leadership had sought resignations for a national cause, he would have tendered his resignation immediately.
He added that no one would resign from the assembly for personal agenda being pushed by a specific family. He said that the PML-N was not a private firm or family property of anyone. He maintained that as a senior Muslim Leaguer, he would not resign without just cause and reasoning.
Maulana Ghayasuddin also has refused to resign, adding that he had been in the party longer than Nawaz Sharif. He said that no one could ask for a resignation from him.
A PML-N lawmaker who wished to remain anonymous told this scribe that there were many senior leaguers who had reservations on resignations issue. The source said that many parliamentarians would refuse to submit resignations when the time comes.
Earlier in the day, the JUI-F chief said that “there is no democracy in place today” while assuring that the PDM rally in Lahore will take place in spite of all obstacles.
Fazl said the above while addressing a press conference, flanked by two prominent opposition leaders, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal.
“There is no democracy in place today. It is dictatorship that has buried democracy. We have spoken of a democratically elected government of the people and the supremacy of the Constitution. We do not accept this government as one elected by the people, or Constitutional or democratic,” he said.
Regarding the hurdles placed by the incumbent government, the JUI-F chief said that the 11-party alliance would find a second path, adding that a steering committee is yet to meet and decide on a schedule of activities.
The hurdles in question are the administration “turning the venue into a dam”, wherein he accused the government of flooding the venue, Minar-e-Pakistan, on purpose.
Moreover, while Prime Minister Imran Khan had not banned the rally, he had warned that any organisers who partake in the arrangements would be arrested – this ranged from sound and stage workers to simple tea sellers.
Furthermore, a threat alert was issued by police on Tuesday for the opposition’s 11-party public gathering on December 13, warning that terrorists could target PML-N VP Maryam and other top political leadership of the opposition parties.
The police have asked the PDM leadership to cancel the Lahore public gathering owing to the security alert and in case of non-cancellation, has asked the opposition’s leadership, including Maryam, to take precautionary measures – such as the use of bulletproof cars – to avoid any untoward incident, reported a local news outlet.
Fazl, on the occasion, referred back to his call for all members of the Opposition to hand in their resignations from the NA. When asked of what will happen to Senate electoral college and elections when the Sindh Assembly will be dissolved due to resignations, he said that they were devising a strategy to stop any more “fake elections”.
“We consider breaking the electoral college a democratic process and are making a strategy for that. We are also consulting constitutional experts,” he said.
“Yesterday, Maulana sahab represented all of us and it is our joint decision to hand in resignations,” Maryam added.
Similarly, Bilawal said: “We will use every tool we can to send them home. And the people are all with us.”
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/12/09/there-is-no-democracy-in-place-today-says-pdm-chief-ahead-of-lahore-rally/
