The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the options of long march and mass resignations in the wake of shocking defeat in the elections for the top slots of Senate.
On Friday, the PDM nominee for the post of the Senate Chairman, Yousaf Raza Gillani, was defeated by ruling alliance’s candidate Sadiq Sanjrani. Similary, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the nominee for the post of the Deputy Chairman, lost to Mirza Muhammad Afridi, a candidate of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are pressing for mass resignations ahead of the long march slated to be held on March 26. The leadership of the both parties is of the view that without mass resignations, the march on Islamabad wouldn’t be effective.
However, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), on the other hand, says that the opposition shouldn’t cede ground to the ruling PTI in parliament. According to a report in Dawn, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in a conversation with PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, said instead of mass resignations, the opposition should table a no-confidence against National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.
The PPP also believes that it has the required strength to pull a surprise against the ruling coalition through no-trust moves against the government.
The PDM meeting was scheduled to be held on March 15 (today) but it was postponed at the request of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.
On Saturday, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, and Maulana Fazlur Rahman held a telephonic conversation to discuss the political situation in the wake of the PDM candidates’ defeat in the election.
During the conversation, JUI-F chief Fazl had said the joint opposition’s decision to organise a long march to Islamabad will not yield results without mass resignations. The top-tier leadership had also discussed the causes behind the defeat in the elections for the top slots and go after the lawmakers who voted for the PTI Senate nominees.
