ISLAMABAD: Following the appeal of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders of the PDM including Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the activists and the workers of the joint opposition marked Friday as Thanksgiving Day.

The PDM chief, PML-N president and PPP chairman after the Supreme Court (SC)’s decision against the ruling of Deputy Speaker of National Assembly (NA) Qasim Suri had urged their party workers to celebrate Friday as a Thanksgiving Day.

All the leaders of the PDM and other opposition parties have hailed the SC’s verdict and congratulated the nation for restoration of the lower house of parliament. The PDM chief has termed the Supreme Court’s historic verdict as the win of the Constitution. Maulana has directed his party workers to mark Friday as Thanksgiving Day instead of marking the Constitution Protection Day as per the earlier announcement. He said the PTI government had violated the constitution but the Supreme Court’s verdict had put the country back on track.

PML-N president Shehbaz in a tweet has said: “the no-confidence motion presented at the request of 220 million Pakistanis will prove to be an important milestone in bringing Pakistan out of the darkness of disappointments and problems. Pakistan needs the ointment of collective wisdom, solidarity and consensus. We will become a nation and overcome the storms of problems. He said that the SC verdict has saved the constitution and Pakistan.” He vowed to give relief to the inflation-hit people soon after removing PM Khan through the vote of no-confidence.

He said that the PDM’s first aim is to put the economy on the right trajectory and providing relief to the people suffering from skyrocketing inflation. Moreover, the PDM will also focus on restoring Pakistan’s position and relations on the world stage on the basis of national dignity and interests. The test of leadership is in the most difficult situation.

PPP Chairman Bilawal, while commenting on the SC decision, said: “this is not our victory but the victory of the nation, the victory of constitution and democracy through which our journey on the path of democracy will continue. Democracy is the best revenge.”

“We will make sure the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan is successful. Then we will ensure electoral reforms and then we move to the general elections,” he said.

The PPP chief said it was not the victory of any party but the Constitution. “The people have won. The Constitution has won. All the allies will take decisions together with consultations,” he maintained.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also took to the Twitter and expressed her gratitude to God for the Opposition’s win. “I congratulate the nation as the supremacy of the Constitution has been restored,” she wrote. “Those who had violated the Constitution are done away with. May Allah keep Pakistan shining.” She also hailed her uncle Shehbaz Sharif, and wrote that he would be the next premier.

PML-N President Shehbaz is the joint candidate of the opposition parties for the slot of prime minister. The Supreme Court has directed the government to ensure voting on the no-confidence motion on Saturday after it declared the Deputy Speaker’s action of dismissing no-confidence motion violative of the Constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022