All eyes are on Lahore, PDM to make future decisions on Dec 8: Fazl

As JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited the residence of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani in Multan on Tuesday, he said all eyes were on Lahore for the December 13 PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) rally, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The citizens of Multan have rejected the selected, Fazl remarked during a press conference at Gilani House after the meeting and added that the PDM was fighting the people’s rights. 

Fazl, who expressed his anger over the arrests of opposition activists, said the future line of action would be determined by the opposition parties’ leaders at the PDM meeting scheduled for December 8 in Islamabad.

The PTI government at the Centre and in Punjab had become ineffective and seemed lost after losing the writ amid the pressure exerted by the PDM, Fazl maintained.

He remarked that the government policies take years to shift effects to the people but the PTI destroyed the economy soon after coming into power.

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When asked about the government policy on Kashmir, the JUI-F chief quipped in a short reply that there was no government.

Describing the ongoing discussion about the recognition of Israel as nonsense, he said the Muslim countries should work on making the world recognise the state of Palestine. He noted that the Palestine issue was part of the March 1940 Pakistan Resolution and expressed his annoyance over the binning of the Kashmiri people as well.  

Speaking on the occasion, Gilani expressed his surprise over the statements issued by some government quarters since Monday that the hurdles created for sabotaging the PDM rally were a wrong move. 

Why they remained silent as the arrests were being made for the last one week, the former prime minister asked and added that even 13-year-old children had been detained.

He mentioned that the police crackdown was not limited to Multan only as the opposition workers had been arrested in other areas as well. People were still in jail, Gilani told media persons.

Gilani thanked the people for making Monday’s rally a success and said the public meeting had been held when there was no water, electricity and transport.  

For the first time in his life, the senior PPP leader remarked, he had seen a government issuing affidavits to people with a declaration that they would pay Rs1 million fine in case of attending the public meeting.

About the critics saying that the opposition leaders keep their children at home while asking others to come out on the streets, he mentioned the presence of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and the arrest of his sons.

Earlier in the day, 24NewsHD TV channel, which obtained a copy of the agenda finalised for the PDM meeting on December 8, reported that the long march towards Islamabad and resignations from assemblies were the top points for discussion.

According to sources, the meeting will decide the final date for the long march. Moreover, the opposition leaders are also going to deliberate upon whether they should go for the long march and resignations simultaneously or exercise the two options separately.

Meanwhile, the sources say, the opposition alliance would also determine where different leaders should start moving towards the federal capital along with their caravans.

However, these decisions would be made public at the rally planned for December 11 in Lahore.