ISLAMABAD: On 8th of December, five days before its scheduled rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will debate the option of en-masse resignations from the assemblies as well as marching onto Islamabad.
Sources privy to the development told Business Recorder that the December 8 meeting would be attended by top PDM leadership, in which former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would also participate via video link from London.
"The December 8 meeting of the PDM leadership will deliberate upon future course of action of the anti-government movement, including the option of en-masse resignations from the assemblies, and a march onto Islamabad," a senior PML-N source said on condition of anonymity.
During a meeting between Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on Thursday, the PML-N sources said that the option of resignations and the long-march also came under discussion, besides consultations on the preparation for PDM's rally on 13 December in Lahore.
Sources told Business Recorder that Maryam Nawaz, not a member of parliament as she is ineligible to stand for elections due to her conviction, was in favour of an aggressive stance on resignations, arguing that the PDM should use this option after the Lahore jalsa.
Shehbaz Sharif, who recently advocated a national dialogue between institutions reportedly advised against any hasty decision in this regard. The sources further said that the option of resignation is quite unlikely to materialise at this stage as the majority of senior leaders of PML-N are of the opinion that this option should not be exercised till after March 2021 Senate elections are held.
They said that despite insistence by Maryam Nawaz and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also not a member of Parliament, to resign en-masse the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with its government in Sindh is unlikely to agree to this extreme measure.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly stated that his government would hold by-polls if the opposition resigns from the assemblies. Senior PML-N leader Senator Mushidullah Khan, however, said that any decision would be taken in consultation with all the 11 parties in the PDM alliance.
He said that the PDM would hold a grand rally on December 13, adding that the PML-N would also hold two mini rallies in Lahore on December 7 and 10 to build up momentum for December 13 PDM power show.
A senior PPP leader said that the party would soon call its central executive committee (CEC) meeting in which all the options would be discussed in detail including the proposal of en-masse resignations from the assemblies.
The PDM's rally at Minar-e-Pakistan is the last planned anti-government rally of the opposition parties' alliance in which it had previously stated it would announce its future course of action. PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz has tasked party lawmakers to bring as many people as they can to hold a grand power show at Minar-e-Pakistan to be hosted by the PML-N.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020