PDM to mull over no-trust bid in January 25 meeting: Fazlur Rehman

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday announced that a meeting of the senior leadership of the anti-government Opposition alliance will be held on January 25, which will mull over, among other options, a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Addressing a press conference, flanked by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Fazl said: "The anti-government alliance parties are considering options for the immediate dismissal of the incumbent government."

“We appeal to the coalition parties of the government to think in the national interest of Pakistan and about the common man,” Fazl said, adding that the PDM wants to see Pakistan have a "free economy."

The JUI chief said that the long march announced against the government has "become inevitable" and the PDM will march towards the capital on March 23 in a bid to oust the PTI-led government.

He, however, added that the long march plan will be finalised during the all-party session scheduled on January 25.

“The government does not realise the grievances of the common man,” he said, adding that the "entire nation will participate in this anti-government march."

“We do not give Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government the right to re-colonise an independent state.”

The PDM chief also spoke of the upcoming second phase of local government polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Referring to a request by the Election Commission of Pakistan to the Ministry of Defence for the deployment of army troops on election day, Fazl said that as an independent institution, the ECP should not make itself “controversial" and that it must not allow itself to be "enslaved".

Speaking to the media prior to Fazl, Shahbaz said that in the 74-year history of Pakistan, "the PTI government is the most incompetent one to ever come to power" adding that the country is undergoing the "most difficult period".

The PML-N president said that during his meeting with Fazl, both of them also discussed a no-confidence motion against the prime minister and that this option will be further highlighted in the meeting later this month.

Shedding light on the “mini-budget”, he said that "a new wave of inflation" will be seen because of the supplementary finance bill presented by the government.

“We will fully oppose the cruel measures and the mini-budget proposed by the government in Parliament,” he reiterated.

Shahbaz further said that surprisingly, the government is "prioritising the interests and agendas of international institutions over the interests of Pakistani citizens".

“We haven’t seen a more incompetent and corrupt government in the history of Pakistan,” Shahbaz asserted.

Endorsing his views, Fazl added that PDM will become the "voice of the common man against rising inflation."

“We believe that the people will themselves fight for their rights,” the PDM chief said, adding that the long march will be a “revolutionary step in the history of Pakistan”.

He added that the PDM will observe solidarity with the people of the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on February 5.