Published 21:56 IST, October 18th 2020
PDM leaders gather in Karachi to demonstrate against Imran Khan, attract huge crowd
Displaying a massive show of strength, the PDM alliance - comprising of 13 Opposition parties - gathered at Bagh-e-Jinnah in Karachi attracting massive crowd
Displaying a massive show of strength, Opposition leaders including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maryam Nawaz, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Mohsin Dawar arrived at Karachi to demonstrate against the Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan. Thousands gathered at the Bagh-e-Jinnah to support the Opposition leaders and stand against the ruling PTI government. The joint opposition front - Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) - gathered for the second time after showcasing their strength in Lahore earlier.
The grand PDM comprises of 11 Opposition parties. According to a statement by the Karachi police on Sunday, around 3,740 officials have been deployed along with 30 senior officials and 65 deputy superintendents of police to ensure stringent security. Several roads and main thoroughfares have been blocked due to the rally which has led to the authorities releasing alternate traffic routes. Moreover, 159 officials of the Rapid Response Force have been deployed to provide security.
'We have gotten late'
The grand alliance also comprises of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N). PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz arrived in Karachi on Sunday and asserted that PDM's main aim was to restore the sanctity of the masses' vote which was 'stolen' in the 2018 general elections in Pakistan. "The public is now ahead of us. We have gotten late in representing the masses but now we have gathered at the PDM platform," ANI quoted the PML-N Vice President.
The PDM's struggle against the Imran Khan government is widely perceived as being anti-army. The opposition managed to pull a huge crowd at the cricket stadium that was full to its capacity. During the event in Lahore, PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman declared that the PTI government would be sent packing by December in the wake of the opposition's movement. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz had also addressed the event.
The Opposition leaders had announced that they would use all political and democratic options, including no-confidence motions and mass resignations from Parliament to seek "the selected" prime minister's resignation. The Opposition parties have accused the powerful army of rigging the 2018 elections that brought Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party to power. The Opposition parties are openly opposing the military’s interference in politics and elections for the first time in the recent history of the country.
Updated 21:56 IST, October 18th 2020