Tag: PDM

  • Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    A day after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) finally broke silence on backstabbing allegations, expressed its reservations and later resigned from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) along with Awami National Party (ANP), members of the parties have reportedly been removed from a WhatsApp group of the anti-government alliance.

    According to sources, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Saeed Ghani and Mian Iftikhar were removed from the WhatsApp group of the joint opposition’s steering committee.

    This came as PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the PPP and ANP to reconsider their decision of resigning from the alliance.

    Addressing a press conference after chairing an important meeting of the PDM in Islamabad after resignations from PPP and ANP, Fazl said both the parties still had time to reconsider their decision and contact the PDM.

    The PDM chief said PDM was an alliance of 11 parties and decisions were made with the consensus.

    “If any party is found violating the consensus then it must be made answerable,” he said while explaining the show-cause notices to PPP and ANP, which became the latest bone of contention after Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination and election as Senate opposition leader.

    Both the parties had the opportunity to summon PDM meeting to give an explanation on the matter, but they decided to part ways with the alliance, Fazl maintained.

  • PDM: Done and dusted?

    PDM: Done and dusted?

    PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday announced that the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has called upon its members to resign from all positions of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). 

    Flanked by party leaders, Bilawal held a news conference to speak about the matters that came under discussion during the recently-held Central Executive Committee meeting of the party. 

    He said the CEC had come to the conclusion that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be “like an atom bomb”.

    Bilawal said the PPP’s stance that the Opposition should not “abandon the Parliament and the Senate battleground” had been vindicated.

    He said if the PPP had listened to other political parties in the Opposition and boycotted the Senate elections and by-elections, then it would have harmed democracy.

    “We did not give the PTI government an open field to form a two-thirds majority in the Senate,” he said, adding that the government lost on its “own pitch” when the PDM candidate won from the Nowshera by-election.

    “We will not undermine these gains that the PPP has achieved after giving many sacrifices,” he said. “When the PML-N was in power, we protected the Parliament then and we will protect the Parliament today.”

    He said those who wanted to resign from the Parliament, should do so.

    “But, no one should try to impose their will or their dictation on any other political party,” he said. “And the Pakistan Peoples Party will continue in its firm, consistent Opposition to the selected government that has been ongoing since day one and has not broken for a single day,” stressed the PPP chairperson.

    “The Pakistan Peoples Party rejects the so-called show-cause notice,” he said. “Politics is done with equality and respect,” he added.

    “The PPP demands an unconditional apology to the ANP and to the PPP for this obnoxious attitude,” he said.

    Bilawal said the PPP stands by the ANP and would not abandon them under any circumstances. “There is no concept of show-cause notices in democratic alliances,” he said.

    He recounted the PPP’s participation in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy.

    “We condemn the politics of Opposition against members of the Opposition,” he said.

    The PPP chairperson said his party’s doors were open for all other parties, adding that there should be a “working relationship” among them.

  • ‘Dictator Maryam’ blamed for PDM’s downfall

    ‘Dictator Maryam’ blamed for PDM’s downfall

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president and key leader of the opposition alliance, Maryam Nawaz has been accused of having a “dictatorial attitude” that has also been cited as the reason behind the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) downfall.

    As per the details, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders travelled to Wali Bagh, the residence of Awami National Party (ANP) head Asfandyar Wali on Thursday and held talks with him and other party leaders on the evolving political situation in the country.

    The PPP and ANP are the two parties with which the PDM is having differences ever since ex-premier Yousuf Raza Gilani’s election as the Senate opposition leader — a move deemed as betrayal by other parties of the opposition alliance.

    The ANP has already announced to quit the PDM, saying the show-cause notices over voting for Gilani were an insult to the party.

    Briefing reporters after the meeting, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the PPP would take the decision of whether or not to quit the PDM at its Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting scheduled later this month.

    They blamed the “dictatorial attitude” of Maryam Nawaz for the disintegration of the alliance.

    “The split in the PDM began with the issuance of the show-cause notice,” Mian Iftikhar Hussain said, adding, it was an insult to ANP and couldn’t be tolerated.

    Meanwhile, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said the PPP had proposed Maulana Fazlur Rahman as the PDM head but the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief adopted “a step-motherly attitude” towards the PPP. 

    “PPP is not subordinate to any political party.”

    He said that the PPP was ready for the “long march” to Islamabad and wanted to use resignations from the assemblies as the last option.

  • Did Gilani just throw Bilawal under the bus?

    Did Gilani just throw Bilawal under the bus?

    Former prime minister (PM) and incumbent leader of the opposition in Senate, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said it was Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s decision to seek the support of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) lawmakers for his election to the post.

    “They approached that we, a four-member group headed by Dilawar, want to join you. They didn’t approach me, they approached chairman sahib [Bilawal],” he said.

    He made the revelation in an interview with a private media outlet, where he also said he was neither interested in the seat of the Senate chairmanship nor leader of the opposition, but it was Bilawal who made the decision.

    His nomination for the slot and ultimate win despite joint opposition’s reservations is what is the latest and apparently the biggest bone of contention between the PPP and PDM so far.

    Gilani, who was in a straight contest with PML-N candidate Azam Nazeer Tarar, had earlier denied using the votes of BAP senators, saying he had secured the seat with the support of 30 “opposition” senators.

    These included 21 members from the PPP, two from the Awami National Party, one from the Jamaat-e-Islami, two independents from erstwhile Fata (Hidayatulla and Hilalur Rahman) and four from the independent group of Dilawar Khan, who had been supporting the PML-N in the past. Other members of the group include Kaira Babar, Naseebullah Bazai and Ahmad Khan.

    Speaking in the programme on Monday, Gilani expressed support for the decision to secure votes from BAP senators and said they were disgruntled members who approached Bilawal for the post of leader of the opposition in the Senate.

    “But what is wrong in taking their support?” he questioned.

    Gilani further said that the PDM must stay intact but the decision to resign from assemblies had come out of the blue.

    He questioned what would be the next move after the resignations came, adding that this was what the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) would ask them.

    Gilani’s son and PPP member Kasim Gilani, however, has lamented “spread of disinformation” regarding the interview.

    Taking to Twitter he clarified his father’s statement.

    Meanwhile, ANP has reportedly withdrawn from the PDM after show-cause notices were issued to the party to explain their actions during the recently-held Senate polls.

    They had voted for Gilani in a move deemed betrayal by the opposition alliance but democratic right by the PPP and ANP.

  • PML-N offers Gilani Senate chairmanship if he brings his ’31 votes’ to table

    PML-N offers Gilani Senate chairmanship if he brings his ’31 votes’ to table

    Amid deteriorating ties between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) over former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani’s election as the leader of opposition in Senate, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has put forth a rather interesting offer.

    Speaking to media, PML-N bigwig Rana Sanaullah has offered Gilani to bring his 31 votes in the Upper House to the table and get elected as the chairman with 27 others of the PML-N in the 104-member house.

    While the PPP is yet to respond to the offer, here’s what you need to know about Gilani becoming the opposition leader in Senate…

    Last week, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani notified Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate after the PPP submitted a list of 31 senators to him.

    PML-N’s Azam Nazir Tarrar had the support of 21 opposition senators while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which has five senators, did not support any candidate.

    “In pursuance of Rule 16 (3) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012, the chairman Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani as leader of the opposition in the Senate, with effect from March 26, 2021,” read a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat.

    The list carried the signatures of 30 senators; 21 PPP senators, two from the Awami National Party (ANP), one from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), two from the erstwhile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and five from independent Senator Dilawar Khan Group.

    With the appointment of Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate, the gulf between the PPP and PML-N widened, putting the 10-parties PDM alliance on the rocks.

  • Top PPP leaders also unhappy over reason behind differences with Opp alliance

    Top PPP leaders also unhappy over reason behind differences with Opp alliance

    Former Senate chairman and senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani has said that the party should not have taken the support of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Dilawar Khan group in the Senate for the post of opposition leader in the upper house of Parliament.

    The move, that has also been spoken against by PPP’s Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, is the latest bone of contention among members of the joint opposition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    “Though the slot of the opposition leader in the Senate was right of the PPP being a largest single party at the opposition benches, it should not take n the support of the BAP Senators Dilawar group for the slot of opposition leader in the Senate,” he said while answering a query of The News on Wednesday.

    Rabbani said the support of BAP in the Senate was not good for the ideological foundations of the PPP, adding that rules of the Senate were clear that the slot goes to the single largest party at the opposition benches.

    He advised the opposition to keep its unity intact for broader object of supremacy of the constitution and parliament and objectives of supremacy of the constitution could not be achieved without unity in the ranks of the opposition.

    “It’s time to stand united to achieve the objectives,” he said.

    Earlier, Khokhar also said that the party should not have sought the support of BAP and led to this infighting that is only benefitting the government.

  • Opposition infighting: PPP’s Khokhar calls spade a spade

    Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has said the recent decisions taken by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have not gone down well in the public.

    “The people are sick and tired of rising inflation. Unemployment rate is at an all-time high. They want to get rid of this government,” he said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader maintained that the infighting between opposition parties had given breathing space to an anti-people government.

    “On the issue of resignations, the other parties had a weak argument. But at the same time, the PPP’s decision on the leader of opposition in Senate was also not correct,” said Khokhar.

    He added that the pressure on the PPP to resign was unnecessary while the party, too, should not have taken support from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

    “I believe that taking votes from the ruling alliance has damaged our ideological narrative. If we want to take back space in other provinces, we have to give priority to the issues of the people rather than indulging in power politics.”

    Senator Khokhar said he hoped the Central Executive Committee (CEC) would look into these issues. “Difference of opinion is a democratic right and I hope my statement will also be taken in the same light.”

    Tensions have been brewing between opposition alliance members ever since PPP’s decision to nominate former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani for the slot of opposition leader in Senate.

    The PML-N believed it deserved to nominate one from its ranks, and Gilani’s successful election only made things worse.

    Now other members of the PDM are mulling refusing to accept Gilani as their leader, which might serve yet another blow to the anti-government alliance.

  • Abbasi, Haideri of PDM decide to not accept Gilani as Senate Opp leader

    Abbasi, Haideri of PDM decide to not accept Gilani as Senate Opp leader

    • PPP sources share a counter strategy

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have refused to accept ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as the leader of opposition in Senate.

    According to reports, the two, during a meeting, said that the behaviour of opposition alliance’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had disappointed all others.

    “Seeking support from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) was disappointing,” they said and added that a new huddle would decide future course of action in light of PPP’s backstabbing.

    They, however, announced the decision to not accept Gilani as the opposition leader in the Upper House.

    Abbasi also inquired after the health of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman during the meeting.

    Meanwhile, PPP sources told The Current that if the other members of the opposition alliance decide to sit on separate benches in Senate and not accept Gilani as the leader of opposition, the party would also have to take drastic measures.

    “If it stays like this, they should also know that we could sit separately in the National Assembly and not recognise Shehbaz Sharif as the leader of opposition in the National Assembly.”

  • PDM hype dies down further after Fazl, Maryam fall sick

    PDM hype dies down further after Fazl, Maryam fall sick

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz are suffering from fever and have suspended all political activities for four days, their parties have said.

    Fazl, who also heads Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), has been suffering from the fever for the past two days,” a report said citing JUI-F sources. “He is currently residing at his Dera Ismail Khan residence.”

    It further said Fazl had sent his sample for coronavirus testing but the result came back negative.

    “He has suspended political activities [for the time being] as he is unwell,” said sources. “Doctors have advised him to rest.”

    On the other hand, Maryam too has caught “high fever” and is experiencing severe pain in her throat, said the PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb.

    “Maryam has suspended her political activities for four days,” she said in a statement. “She has also gotten herself tested for coronavirus.”

    The PML-N spokesperson said Maryam has been advised by her doctor to take rest, adding she attended a Lahore High Court (LHC) hearing the other day despite being sick.

    CRACKS IN PDM:

    Responding to Maryam’s comments against their party, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders on Sunday said that the PML-N VP’s tone was regrettable but their party knows how to respond to taunting remarks.

    Addressing a joint press conference with Shazia Marri and Maula Bux Chandio, Sherry said that while PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari adopted a “political tone”, the PML-N VP’s tone in her Saturday’s press conference was “regrettable”.

    “We were sorry to see the word ‘selected’ being used to describe the PPP,” Marri said. “However, the PPP knows how to respond to every taunting remark.”

    “There are people in PML-N who understand the delicacy of the occasion. We will continue democratic traditions inside and outside the parliament,” she said.

    The PPP leader said that her party had reservations against Azam Nazeer Tarar, PML-N’s candidate for leader of the opposition slot in the Senate.

    Advising Maryam, Sherry said that the PML-N VP must “reorient her political objectives” and “stick to [the aim of] ousting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government [instead of issuing controversial statements]”.

    “We do not want the PDM to dissolve, therefore, the PML-N should refrain from issuing remarks that would empower the selected government,” she stressed.

    Adding to the comments, Maula Bux Chandio said that the PDM is neither “anyone’s property” nor “a child’s play.”

    “Therefore, saying that the long march will not take place is [inappropriate],” Chandio said.

  • PDM at war

    PDM at war

    The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is at war with itself, it seems. The opposition alliance that was formed last year as an anti-government alliance now seems to be fighting a battle within its ranks.

    The two largest parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — have had a falling out of sorts in recent weeks.

    While we saw over the months since the formation of the PDM that the PML-N leadership took a rather strong stand on the establishment meddling in politics, the PPP was being cautious when it came to naming anyone directly. The strategies of both parties also seemed to be different, which is understandable given the fact that PDM is a mix of different parties with different ideologies. But one of their common goals was to get rid of the government.

    There were of course differences in strategies as to how to do it: the PML-N and Maulana Fazlur Rehman believed in resignations but the PPP believes that it should be done within the democratic framework while remaining in the system. It is understandable that the PPP would not want to resign given that it is the only Opposition party that is in power in a province. It has more at stake in parliamentary system at the moment than other parties of PDM.

    These issues have now come back in public again after the recent PDM meeting where former president Asif Zardari asked former premier Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan when the issue of resignations from assemblies was proposed once again by the latter. What ensued was a public war of words. From a tweet by Maryam Nawaz warning PM Imran to be wary of a ‘substitute’ being fostered, to Bilawal Bhutto saying he will not respond to a PML-N vice president’s statement and his party VP could respond.

    Then Bhutto-Zardari said a family from Lahore has a track record of being selected, quite obviously taking a jibe at the Sharifs. Things escalated even faster when the PPP went against the consensus decision of PDM on the Leader of the Opposition in Senate being from the PML-N. First they said they do not agree on the name of Azam Nazeem Tarar as he is defending two police officers accused in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case, who have been accused of negligence after her murder.

    The PML-N says that if the PPP could have a deputy PM who was directly nominated in BB’s letter, then why would they have an issue with Tarar’s name who is not defending any murderers. The PPP’s Yousaf Raza Gilani recently became the Leader of Opposition in Senate after securing votes from the government’s ally, BAP. Apart from the ANP and Jamaat-e-Islami, the rest of the Opposition parties supported Tarar in Senate.

    Now it remains to be seen whether the PDM decides that PPP will remain part of the Opposition alliance or not. The government, it seems, is having fun at the PPP’s expense. However, it is important that instead of this infighting, the Opposition parties should sit with the government and work on electoral reforms, accountability reforms, judicial reforms, among other things. Every democratic government must complete its tenure and bring about reforms.

    It is high time that the PDM stop thinking about a change in government and think long term so that it can benefit the system. Any elections without proper reforms would lead to finger-pointing by those who lose. It is important that all parties put aside their differences for the greater good of democracy.