PDM to extend action plan’s deadline if admin interferes

ISLAMABAD: The newly created Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided that time-bound 99-day action plan’s deadline could be advanced in its various steps in case the administration’s “responses” compelled for it as the major actions could be taken in the last week of November or in the first week of December instead January next year.

Top on it would be ‘Massive Long March’ that would culminate in Islamabad. Well-placed sources of the movement told The News late Sunday evening on anonymity condition that 99-days action plan would be adhered by all standards and everyone single day’s development would be monitored vividly. A mechanism is being established today (Monday).

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif and the JUI leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman who kept intimate contact before the commencement of the Sunday’s conference also maintained it during the proceedings. Nawaz Sharif also spoke to Asif Ali Zardari twice separately during the course of the All Parties Conference (APC).

The leaders of the parties attending the conference have decided that their respective party’s workers and leaders on all echelons across the country would become partner in the PDM immediately and they would be issuing instructions to them accordingly forthwith. The PDM will have its set up in all cities and towns of the country and the advice would be given by their leadership within this week.

So established PDMs at city and town level would maintain contact with the lawyers, business community, civil society, traders, peasants, workers, labour leaders, media persons, students and other segment of the society in their areas. The sources said that the PDM is going to constitute multi-tier leadership for taking the control of the situation in case the government goes for arresting the incumbent leadership of the various parties.

After hours of discussion over ways to overthrow the "selected" government, opposition parties at the much-hyped PPP-hosted multiparty conference demanded the "immediate" resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The PDM is also going for scrutiny of all the actions taken by him after assuming office and a comprehensive whitepaper will be issued by the movement in this regard any time soon, the sources said.

According to a 26-point resolution passed by the multiparty conference, the forum is named Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) an "alliance structure which will lead and guide nationwide protests against the anti-public and anti-nation government in a disciplined and integrated manner". It will work on the pattern of ARD and MRD but will function more cohesively and coordinately for its endeavours, the sources said.

The resolution that was read out by Maulana Fazlur Rehman maintained that the current government has been granted "fake stability by the same establishment" that interfered with the elections to bring the incumbent rulers to power.

The forum also demanded that elections be held again in a transparent manner and that electoral reforms should be made in order to ensure free and fair polls. Terming the Parliament, a "rubber stamp", the PDM declared that the opposition will not cooperate with the government in the legislative process. It agreed upon a six-point action plan to depose the incumbent government, which would be implemented in phases.

In the first phase that starts in October, opposition parties will hold joint rallies in all four provinces. The second phase will begin in December of this year, during which the opposition will hold "huge public demonstrations" across the country. In January next year, the opposition will set out on a "decisive long march" towards Islamabad.

The sources said that the deadline in this regard could be advanced keeping in view the related developments and the situation. The opposition will also enlist lawyers, traders, farmers, students, media as well as members of the civil society in its movement. In order to oust the government, opposition parties will use "every legal and constitutional option in and out of Parliament, which include moving no-confidence motions and collective resignations from assemblies at an appropriate time," the resolution stated.