Important PDM meeting to decide on resignation from assemblies today

ISLAMABAD: An important meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will decide today (Tuesday) whether or not to resign from the provincial and federal assemblies, as the opposition gears up for its anti-government long march slated to begin from March 26.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz will take part in the meeting to determine the future course of action for the alliance.

The contentious point of the agenda would be the resignation from assemblies which has put the PPP at loggerheads with PML-N and JUI-F who had been calling to quit since December. The PPP, however, has been convincing them to opt for an in-house change and use the resignation strategy as a “last resort”.

However, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been saying since the very first day that the opposition lawmakers should resign from the assemblies in order to put pressure on the government.

In a statement on Monday, according to Geo News, Fazl said he feared the long march will not be effective if the opposition lawmakers do not resign from the assemblies.

Maryam Nawaz is also for resigning from the assemblies.

The PML-N leader had said PDM’s meeting would make it clear where the Opposition parties stood on the resignations. “We will try to persuade those who do not agree to resigning,” she had added.

“The PDM is a coalition of 10 parties and remains united on a larger agenda,” she had said, noting that her party, the PML-N, stood for principle and was together under Nawaz Sharif’s leadership.