Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday met PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and discussed a decision made by the PPP on resignations from the assemblies. Sources claim that the PPP has surprised the PDM leadership after its decision.
Notably, the Central Executive Committee session of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) decided not to resign from the assemblies and instead focus on legal and constitutional measures against the government.
I know that all “PDM supporters” will consider me biased, but I honestly fear that this movement is not going anywhere; the more they speak strong the more they expose their weaknesses; no real ideas, no real challenge, only draining towards “inconsequence”
— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) December 13, 2020
The party’s CEC session chaired by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari decided to launch a contact campaign with the peasants, lawyers, traders and doctors organizations, sources said. “We have determined to take the democratic forces along,” Bilawal Bhutto speaking in the meeting said.
“We have lauded the PPP’s decision that a final decision on resignations will be made from the PDM’s platform,” the JUI-F chief said while addressing to media after a meeting with Maryam Nawaz.
He said that a PDM meeting on January 01 will be held in Lahore to discuss the future course of action besides also devising a reaction over the arrest of PML-N leader Khwaja Asif by NAB authorities. “The incumbent authorities are using NAB for political victimization,” he blamed adding that they would bring an end to political victimization after coming into power.
Speaking over his absence from the Garhi Khuda Baksh public gathering, he said that it was not a planned gathering of the PDM and despite this, a JUI-F delegation participated in it on his behalf. “I had participated in the PPP-organised Karachi gathering under the PDM platform,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz said that Fazlur Rehman gave a detailed briefing to her on the press conference of Bilawal Bhutto. “We will first give a chance to PPP to put forward their recommendations before the PDM,” she said while refusing to respond to reports that PPP has decided against resigning from the assemblies.
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“I will not say anything on presumptions,” the PML-N leader said while lauding Bilawal Bhutto for saying that a final decision would be made at the PDM platform. Responding to the government’s decision to cancel the passport of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz said that the masses are with the PML-N supremo.
PPP should not resign from assemblies, Aitzaz Ahsan
Aitzaz Ahsan, a senior leader of PPP and a prominent lawyer, has said that Maryam’s plan doesn’t appear to be succeeding. He was speaking to SAMAA TV on Tuesday. The PPP leader advised the Pakistan Democratic Movement to postpone its rally in Lahore on December 13. “Governments are not toppled through rallies and processions,” he said. “The third force topples them.”
Aitzaz opposed the opposition’s move to resign en masse too. “How can the PML-N alone decide this,” he questioned. Opposition parties should be aware that Nawaz Sharif’s narrative does not serve PDM’s interests, the PPP leader said.
The Nawaz-league has now confronted the third force too, he said, adding that the party which favors collective resignations should submit them. In my opinion, he said, the PPP should not go to this extent.
Responding to a question about Ahsan’s point of view with regard to en masse resignations from assemblies, the PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, had said that the party would soon convene its Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting and the PDM’s decision would be put before it and everyone would be allowed to express their views including Aitzaz Ahsan. “What decision the CEC takes would be the decision of the party and also of Aitzaz Ahsan,” he added.
Aitzaz had also stated that opposition’s resignations were not enough to dissolve the national and provincial assemblies, as the ruling PTI needed only 172 members in the National Assembly, adding only 84 members – required to maintain the quorum of the 342-member Lower House of the Parliament – was enough to run the house.