PDM unveils plan for long march on 23rd

ISLAMABAD: The opposition decided on Monday to stage a public meeting on Constitution Avenue to give safe passage to their MNAs to the Parliament House on eve of voting on no-trust resolution in the National Assembly.

The opposition leadership took this decision during a meeting held on the occasion of a dinner hosted by the opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif here on Monday night.

The opposition leaders decided to display show of power on the Constitution Avenue in response to the announcement of Prime Minister Imran Khan to gather one million PTI activists at D-Chowk on March 27.

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told media that PDM's March 23 long march would start as per earlier plans and participants of long march would reach Islamabad on March 24. "Our workers in large number will start arriving from the nook and corner of the country and will stay on the Constitution Avenue till voting on the no-trust resolution and will provide safe passage to members to the Parliament House," he said.

He said that the PPP and ANP leadership had also been invited to the long march and hopefully they would make announcement in this connection shortly. Shehbaz Sharif himself received leaders of opposition parties including Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Amir Haider Hoti, Akhtar Mengal and others on their arrival at his residence in the Minister's Enclave.

"The gathering believes that the opposition is moving in the right direction for success of no-trust. The opposition leaders express confidence in decisions being taken by Shehbaz Sharif, "PMLN Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal told 'The News'.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman pointed out that instead of facing the no-trust move, the government of incompetent prime minister opted for chaos and confrontation and its people had started using threatening language.

Fazlur Rehman said that there would be historic public meeting of opposition parties from the Constitution Avenue to the gates of the Parliament House so that their members could easily make it to the National Assembly session. "For how long it continues it has yet to be decided but our workers will stay in Islamabad till voting on the no-trust move," he said.

Reading out declaration of the Monday night's sitting, the JUIF chief said the opposition leaders also warned Speaker Asad Qaisar against deviating from Constitution and Rules of Business and Conduct of Business in the House while requisitioning the National Assembly session and voting on the on-trust resolution.

He said that the Speaker was constitutionally bound to requisition the National Assembly session and conduct voting on the no-trust resolution as per rules. "Deviation from Constitution and rules will be construed as disobedience to the Constitution and will be taken as treason and its punishment is mentioned in Article 6 of the Constitution," the opposition's declaration said.