QUETTA: Pakistan Democra­tic Movement (PDM) leaders said on Wednesday that their struggle was not against the army but against the government which had been imposed on the country after stealing public mandate through election rigging.

Speaking at a public meeting in Loralai, they said that a government which was “selected” against the will of the people had no right to remain in power and soon a government would be established according to the wishes of the people as a result of the democratic struggle launched by the 10-party opposition alliance across the country.

The PDM leaders said that now the political forces would accept only supremacy of the people and their elected institutions as they had launched a movement for restoration of ‘real democracy’, supremacy of constitution and an independent parliament.

PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman, vice president Mehmood Khan Achakzai, JUI-F secretary general Maulana Ghafoor Haideri, senior vice president of BNP-Mengal Abdul Wali Kakar, National Party Senator Mir Kabir Mohammad Shahi and ANP leader Asghar Khan Achakzai spoke at the public meeting. Senator Yaqoob Khan Nasar and Ali Madad Jattak represented PML-N and PPP, respectively, as Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto- Zardari did not reach Loralai.

Resignations to be submitted at right time, Fazl tells Loralai rally

Maulana Fazl said: “Our war is not against the army. We have launched a struggle for upholding supremacy of the Constitution and for a parliament which is elected by the people in a free, fair and impartial election.”

He said that the PDM wanted to make it clear to the establishment that it would continue to fight those who considered the Constitution a piece of paper at every forum, including the parliament.

The PDM president said: “We will definitely submit our resignations at the right time. The lawmakers of all member parties of PDM have submitted their resignations to their leadership.”

He said that when he was in opposition, Imran Khan had told the nation that if there was inflation in the country, the prime minister would be responsible for it. “Today the people are so fed up with inflation that they are committing suicide while throwing their children into rivers but the prime minister does not care.”

Maulana Fazl said if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf continued to rule it, Pakistan would face a ‘horrible tsunami’ that would destroy the country economically and politically.

He said that the government’s foreign policy had led to the country’s isolation in the world as Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE and even China had their reservations on different issues. “Saudi Arabia and UAE are asking for return of loans they extended to Pakistan,” the JUI-F chief said.

Mehmood Achakzai said the PDM had launched a movement for restoration of democracy and the emergence of a Pakistan in which rights of all the nationalities would be secure and parliament would enjoy supremacy.

“We are not begging anybody. We just want that our rights should be recognised and all nationalities living in the country should have rights on their natural resources,” Mr Achakzai said.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2021