Islamabad: Opposition parties in Pakistan would observe July 25 as black day, saying the mandate of the current government was based on the stolen votes. A Multi-Party Conference (MPC) of opposition groups met in Islamabad at the invitation of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief and a known cleric Fazlur Rehman to discuss a plan of action to deal with the government.
Rehman told media at the conclusion of the day-long moot that opposition parties considered the mandate of current government was based on stolen votes. "The opposition decided to observe July 25 (when Imran Khan won elections to become Prime Minister last year) as black day and it would be followed by rallies in the countries," he said. The parties also agreed to remove the chairman of Senate. Rehman said that the current budget was anti-people and opposition will continue its protest against it in Parliament.
Opposition also agreed to press for orders to bring lawmakers Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar who were arrested after attack at an army check post in tribal region. The MPC meeting is expected to be dominated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People Party (PPP). Opposition leader in Parliament and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif attended the moot along with Maryam Nawaz, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq and other leaders.
PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari led a five-member delegation in the meeting. His other nominees include former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani, former Senate chairmen Raza Rabbani and Nayyar Bukhari and others. In a setback to the organisers, Jamaat-i-Islami did not attend the meeting. However, Balochistan National Party (Mengal), which is an ally of the Iman Khan government, was present. "The other objective is to plan how to mobilise the masses if the budget is approved, as people are angry due to a new wave of inflation as a result of measures announced in the budget," a PML-N leader said.
By Sajjad Hussain/PTI
