Opposition mulling over holding first ‘power show’ in Quetta on Oct 7

ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties are pondering over a suggestion to hold its first ‘power show’ in Quetta on October 7 in line with the decisions taken in All Parties Conference (APC), sources told The News here on Sunday.

The sources said the proposal to hold first public meeting of the opposition alliance in Quetta has been given in the context of Remembrance Day that is observed on October 7 for the martyrs of Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).

They said the opposition parties are currently doing homework and would formally announce its public meeting in Quetta in next few days, adding “First Maulana Fazlur Rehman would be made head of PDM and he would announce date and venue of the first public meeting.”

The sources said that ,if finalised, then all mainstream opposition leaders would address the public meeting including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali.

The opposition parties after APC had announced to hold four public meetings in the month of October in Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore. Talking to The News, JUI-F (Balochistan Chapter) chief Maulana Abdul Wasey said, “I have just talked to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman about affairs related to the PDM. The decision to hold public meeting in Quetta is yet to be finalised by the opposition parties.”

To a question, he said, “The JUI-F has been organising its public meetings on regular basis and we will also hold a big gathering in Quetta on October 25. Apart from it we will actively participate in the public meetings to be held under the banner of PDM.”