LAHORE: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced on Sunday that the 11-party alliance would launch the final phase of its movement by holding a march on Islamabad either by the end of January 2021 or start of February.
He said the nation would march with the PDM, and the opposition leadership would take along the resignations of its members from the parliament. He said the PDM leadership was not ready to trust such a parliament which was a product of rigging and snatching of people’s votes, adding that “we will return the sacred trust of people’s vote to them.” He said they were out to ensure that “parliament belongs to people, democracy belongs to people and ruling belongs to people,” adding that this system of rigging would not last long. Fazl feared anarchy and a direct clash between masses and the powers-that-be in future if "this unjust and illegal government" was given further backing. “People’s wounds of their votes having been stolen and the unlawful government given full backing are getting deeper, and their anger growing, which is evident from the massive public response given to the PDM public meetings across the country and its narrative.”
He said, “I warn the powers-that-be to leave the path of masses towards ruling the country through their representatives and correct their attitude.
“They must let the people reach Islamabad; otherwise, I fear people could come face to face with them and such a situation will be anarchy and disastrous for the whole country and the nation.”
He said the entire nation should live like a nation, adding that all the state institutions are for the people. He said it is the people who become army, parliament, judiciary and other institutions. If the institutions come face to face against each other, then national unity and solidarity would shatter, he warned. Fazl said the PDM’s aim was to ensure a free democratic atmosphere in the country like it was envisioned by the founding fathers of the country when they passed the Lahore Declaration 80 years ago on this ground to establish an Islamic country, which should become an abode of Islam and a strong voice of all Muslims in the world.
But, he lamented, the 73-year rule of the powers-that-be over the country made it a slave. He urged people that they must pledge to free the country from local and global establishment. Warning against the clutches of global establishment taking control of the country, he said, “We must free our army, our judiciary and other institutions from their control."
Talking about Kashmir, he said for 73 years, India never dared to annexe Kashmir, but only after the Imran government came, Modi did it easily without any resistance offered by Pakistan. He said there were two reasons that allowed the Modi government to occupy Kashmir without firing a single bullet. One, the Imran government weakened the country so much that it lost the capability to resist against India. Two, Imran sold out Kashmir to India and was now shedding crocodile’s tears to hoodwink masses. Fazlur Rehman recalled that Imran had been floating the formula of Kashmir’s division in three parts before the 2018 elections, and ‘he had also prayed for the success of Modi in elections'. Fazlur Rehman lamented that giving legal status to Indian occupation of Kashmir by making Gilgit-Baltistan a province was even more dangerous since it would make Pakistan lose its ground on the UN resolutions. He expressed sorrow that Islamabad had failed in giving Kashmiris their freedom, their rights, honour and kept doing politics in the name of Kashmiri martyrs' blood, and honour of Kashmiri women, but failed to do anything practical to liberate them from the Indian occupation.
He noted that the State Bank of Pakistan had warned that for the first time in history, the country’s growth rate slid below zero. “People are dying of hunger, youth are given false dreams and all institutions are bankrupt. It has become impossible to run the country under the present state of affairs and our future is doomed. Three million government employees have been fired from jobs. But despite all that, an incompetent and illegal government is being kept in power by using force,” he claimed. He expressed concerns that people in every sphere of life were worried and depressed, including peasants, teachers, doctors, lawyers, youth, workers, students, women and businessmen. "If we have to pacify them, we have to bring a revolution against this corrupt coterie. We must not raise mere slogans for change, but we must act to free the country from the global establishment ruling over us through its agents."
He said no angels would descend to rid the people of their plight and they will have to come forward to ensure their rights, free the government from the corrupt coterie.
Fazl said the PDM’s campaign had outlined its objectives in its first summit meeting, which included protecting the Constitution’s Islamic, democratic, parliamentary and federating character. It included ensuring parliament’s supremacy and protecting it from becoming hostage by anyone while judiciary should be made independent, reforms should be made for ensuring free and fair polls. Also, basic Human Rights and democratic rights should be protected, autonomy of provinces under the 18th Amendment be protected and an effective system of local government be enforced. Media freedom should be protected, while extremism and terrorism be wiped out, urgent measures be taken to eradicate price hike, poverty and unemployment.
Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said the PDM would not give an ‘NRO’ [deal] to the government, which had destroyed country’s development and made the lives of people a hell.
Addressing the jalsa at Minar-e-Pakistan, she said the way Lahore supported the PDM and responded to its call gave her great joy. “I am thankful that you came here in such a cold weather. I was freezing,” she said.
She said today Lahore welcomed the brother provinces – Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. She said Lahore had assured the PDM that the Punjab would play the role of a real brother, and not an elder brother, and link Islamabad with all four provinces.
She said she knew that ‘someone’ was calling media and pushing them to declare the event a failure. She said they all knew from where those calls were being made to the media.
“Lahore has thrown the government from the top of Minar-e-Pakistan. The fake change, which started in 2011 from Minar-e-Pakistan, was finished today,” Maryam added.
“The one who always said that he would not give an NRO was asking the PDM and Nawaz Sharif for the NRO. But now, the PDM and Nawaz Sharif will not give Imran Khan the NRO,” she said.
“Listen Tabaydar Khan, every child of Pakistan knows who are you? The children who are without milk, know about you; mothers and sisters know you whose food you have snatched, every ill person also knows you whose medicines were snatched; every youngster also knows you who dreamed about one crore jobs; government servants also know you as they did not get any raise in salaries,” she added.
She showed a video comprising different statements of Imran Khan in favour of Nawaz Sharif. She said Imran Khan got government through rigging but his selectors did not know that he would prove so incompetent. “Today masses are questioning the selectors from where they brought that team,” she added.
She also played a video of Imran Khan’s promises to the masses during his election campaign. She asked people who the real corrupt was. She played another video about the performance of PTI two years in power and statements of Imran Khan in which he took U-turns on his election promises.
She said seven people died in KP due to non-supply of oxygen while several government hospitals started charging Rs20 for stretchers and wheel chairs while 600 per cent increase was made in the prices of medicines.
She said stories of corruption in Malam Jabba, Peshawar BRT and Billion Tree projects were in the knowledge of every Pakistani. She said even the Supreme Court said whether all trees had been planted at Bani Gala. She said there was no performance of the selected government but heaps of scandals only.
Addressing PM Imran, she said: “You cheated the nation, you lied to the nation, you will have to go because you destroyed economy and caused unemployment.
“Did anyone get home from the promised 50-lakh homes? You destroyed business and industry. You will have to go as you did not put a single brick in any project,” Maryam added.
She said Shahbaz Sharif developed Punjab and Lahore. He always reached people in distress. In the end, she said she wanted masses to understand that respect of vote is necessary. “Only elected people will think for you. Imran Khan is only saving his jab. Are you ready to give last push to this falling wall? Do you come out of homes for a march? Will you stay there? Promise me,” she concluded.
After Maryam, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed the gathering. Ruling out any talks with the government, he said the PDM caravan would soon march towards Islamabad to seek resignation from the 'selected' prime minister. “We are reaching Islamabad, stop contacting us; there will be no dialogue with you, and we will snatch resignation from you as you were brought to power in an illegal way,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing the PDM rally at Minar-e-Pakistan.
The PPP chairman said the days of the 'puppet PM' were numbered and the movement would continue till his resignation. Bilawal said the rulers had no tolerance to face the opposition as whenever any segment of society raised voice for its rights, force was used against it.
Bilawal said when doctors, nurses took to the streets, they were targeted by police, whereas tyranny of the government was visible when Kissan Ittehad workers were tortured and beaten to death by the police on the instructions of this government. The PPP chairman said the opposition leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and former opposition leader in NA Syed Khurshid Shah had been nabbed by the government. He added that it was the demand of Lahore and Karachi to release Shahbaz Sharif and Khursheed Shah. He also said that what the PDM was fighting was not a battle for power but a battle for restoration, protection of rights of people, snatched by the selected government. He lauded the enthusiasm shown by the public and added that Lahore was the city where Zulfikar Ali Bhutto laid the foundation of PPP and from where Benazir Bhutto led the movement against dictator Ziaul Haq. He also said that the present situation of the country was quite bleak but its future would be glorious because the government would soon go home.
Bilawal said the night of oppression was about to end. Today, he said, “we gathered under the banner of PDM, while ignoring our political differences and challenging the 'selected and his facilitators' to restore the rule of people in letter and spirit. He added that the PPP had been, and would remain, a party that represented the downtrodden segments of society.
“Selectors, listen carefully, you have to accept the people's verdict. There is no other way out now; the time for dialogue is over, now there will be a long march, we are coming to Islamabad.
“And after reaching Islamabad, we will snatch resignation from the selected and illegally pitched PM,” said Bilawal. “We all will travel together to send your puppet home; you have to listen to the people; you will have to accept their decision,” said Bilawal. He said from Gilgit to Lahore and from Lahore to Quetta, only one slogan was being heard that robbery on mandate, robbery on ballot, robbery on Lahore, robbery on Punjab was not acceptable at all.
Head of Qaumi Watan Party Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao told the PDM meeting that people had given verdict against the 'hybrid' government, which came to existence through rigged polls.
He said the government had proved a complete failure and its interior, foreign and economic policies were not acceptable to the nation. He said that inflation had seriously disturbed people's life and a common man was unable to make his ends meet. He said all promises made by Imran Khan before polls were proven fake and the PM established himself as the master of ‘U-Turn’. He said that never before the country witnessed such a gloomy period. He said that solution to the prevailing crisis lied only in the resignation of Imran Khan. He also demanded empowerment of the federating units and predicted that country would very soon witness fresh elections.
Addressing the public gathering, Sardar Akhter Mengal, head of Balochistan National Party, said it was unfortunate that nation was still slave at the hands of a few elements despite achieving independence seven decades ago. He said that this was not the Pakistan whose resolution was passed in 1940, as people's fate was being decided here by some forces.
Sardar Mengal, who is also the former chief minister of Balochistan, said that despite all troubles and torture, we took oath under the Constitution and were part of the elected assemblies. He said it was so unfortunate that nearly 10,000 youths of Balochistan were missing and their families were in deep distress but nobody had come for their support. He also said that Balochistan had the greatest right on its natural resources, but it was not being acknowledged. He also called for accountability of former president Pervez Musharraf.
Javed Hashmi regrets small provinces not given due rights PML-N leader Javed Hashmi said that during the last 72 years, the country was divided into two parts and many public leaders like Liaquat Ali Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir, Bilour family and many other pro-democratic leaders were martyred.
He said we should admit the fact that we have not given equal rights to small provinces. He said more rights should be given to small provinces through constitutional amendments. He said now the vote should be respected.
He said people wanted Imran Khan to go home as he was responsible for the present price-hike, inflation and unemployment in the country.
Awami National Party leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain also addressed the PDM public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan. He said the present government was so much frustrated that even before the commencement of the jalsa, the Punjab chief minister issued a statement that the PDM show had flopped.
The ANP leader read out different resolutions which were passed by the crowd immediately. The resolutions called for rejection of 'Imrani Corona' as well as the selected government' were passed during the PDM meeting. Similarly, a resolution rejecting the setting up of barbed wire around Gwadar and regarding the recovery of missing persons were also passed.
PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said Imran Khan had challenged the PDM to fill the grounds of Minar-e-Pakistan, which was filled much before the arrival of the opposition leaders.
He said after today’s success, the PDM’s movement would move forward with more vigour and not stop until they reach their goal of sending the government home. He said from now onwards, the vote of people would be respected and free and fair elections would be held in the country.
Before leaving Jati Umra for the resident of Ayaz Sadiq, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said people had not come out on the call of PDM but in reality PDM has come out on the call of people, who were facing extreme price-hike of essential edibles, unprecedented hike in electricity and gas prices and uncontrolled unemployment.
Khwaja Saad Rafique told the media the country needed a transparent democracy in Pakistan, which should be free of intrusion and should be governed according to the constitution. He said we want supremacy of constitution and we want that people of Pakistan should get their constitutional rights.
