An alliance of Pakistani opposition parties on Saturday vowed to step up protests against Prime Minister Imran Khan's government.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement was formed in September last year and includes Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). The alliance was a result of resentment among opposition parties that the elections of 2018—which brought Imran to power—were rigged.
At a rally in Karachi on Saturday, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the Imran Khan government was a threat to Pakistan's sovereignty and warned the country was staring at “imminent economic collapse and international isolation”, Dawn reported.
Rehman is head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), an Islamist outfit.
At the rally, the PDM reiterated that “immediate and fair general elections” were the only solution to the woes plaguing the country. Rehman lashed out at the government for its perceived failure to curb inflation.
“We will win this war, and Pakistan will have a government that is truly representative of the people, which will understand the problems faced by the masses. The ones who [were imposed] are not aware of the public's issues... This journey, which has started from Karachi, will continue... and we will march to Lahore, and from there, we will go to Islamabad,” Rehman was quoted as saying by Geo News.
The PDM has announced plans for protests in Quetta on November 17 and in Peshawar on November 20.
Rehman declared Pakistan's survival would remain under threat if the government “is not drowned in the Arabian Sea”, Geo News reported. He noted, “Revolution takes place where there is an economic crisis.”
“Pakistan is fast going into isolation. I would also like to urge the institutions to look into the facts… Look into the past mistakes you made. Search your conscience… Make a public apology. Only then will we be able to save this country. It’s not about any party; it’s about the country and its people,” Rehman was quoted as saying by Dawn.
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On Friday, Rehman discussed the PDM's course of action with Bilawal Bhutto. Rehman spoke to Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in the UK, on Saturday.
Dawn reported that Rehman and Sharif “discussed the possibility of tabling a no-confidence motion” against key figures in Imran Khan's government.
