report in The express tribune, dec 8, 2020
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz has once again predicted that the days of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government were numbered as PDM, the all-opposition alliance, was set to hold its latest power show in Lahore despite repeated government warnings.
She said this while addressing multiple corner meetings in the Punjab capital organised on Monday to mobilise party workers and supporters ahead of the 11-party opposition alliance’s much-hyped anti-government rally scheduled for December 13.
Taking a jibe at PM Imran, Maryam said she has coined a new name for him — “Tabedar Khan” (obedient Khan) – suggesting that the premier did not have real powers to run the country and someone else was calling the shots from behind the scene.
Responding to Imran Khan’s statement regarding PDM’s Lahore rally that the government would not use forceful means to stop it from taking place, Maryam challenged the prime minister, saying the public gathering would take place come what may.
In an interview with a local news outlet over the weekend, PM Imran had lashed out at the opposition’s alliance, saying that they were holding rallies to “secure relief in corruption cases”.
The premier had maintained that his government would not take any action against PDM leaders as it could help his political opponents to portray themselves as “revolutionary” before public.
Maryam said that the upcoming Lahore rally will prove to be a decisive one and it will expose this “fake government” as its days were numbered.
A day earlier, Maryam had revealed that the PDM will take “big decisions” on December 8 to oust the incumbent government which also included the option of resigning en masse from legislative assemblies.
“The masses have won this war [against the government]. We are going to make big decisions on December 8 and we will declare our victory on December 13 in Lahore [during the PDM rally],” she had announced.
‘Political pollution’
Meanwhile, Punjab government’s spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan responding to Maryam’s tirade has said the PDM was spreading “political pollution” in the country.
After Multan’s “flop show”, she said, PDM leaders and Maryam were now seeing their narrative failing and their anti-government movement was doomed to fail.
“Congratulations on your journey from demanding the prime minister’s resignation to giving your own resignations,” Firdous remarked, referring to the PML-N’s possible decision of stepping down from all legislative assemblies to exert pressure on the PTI government.
