PDM to jointly contest Senate elections

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday announced that all opposition parties have decided to contest the Senate elections together and will not contest against each other's candidates.

"Our candidates will be jointly decided," said Rehman during a press conference, which was held after an important meeting of the alliance where several strategies, including participation in the Senate elections and the long anti-government march on March 26 were discussed, reported Geo News.

The Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader also mentioned that the 11-party opposition alliance rejects the open ballot method of the Senate polls and the constitutional amendment to bring it about. "The Opposition believes in the overall package of election reforms," he said.

Speaking on inflation, he said that the PDM had decided that electricity, gas and petroleum costs have skyrocketed in Pakistan that has "made the lives of people difficult", according to Geo News.

"We will continue to stand by the people shoulder-to-shoulder against these illegitimate rulers and are ready to give any sacrifice required to bring them out of this difficult situation," Rehman said.

Furthermore, the PDM chief also attacked the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on issues like the Broadsheet scandal and the foreign funding case.

PDM 'rejects' the formation of the commission to probe the Broadsheet scandal and considers it an attempt to "conceal their corruption", he added.

On the foreign funding case against PTI, Rehman said that Imran Khan cannot be termed as "honest" and "trustworthy" and his government must be declared illegal and justice demands a prompt decision in this regard, terming any other step as "murder of justice".

He also called Khan a "certified thief" and "the most corrupt man" over the recent corruption rankings given by Transparency International, where Pakistan dropped four points in comparison to last year.

Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal had said the PTI government has become a threat to the country and has ruined Pakistan's economy and foreign policy.

One thing everyone has agreed on in the meeting at Fazl's house was that Imran Khan has to go, Iqbal added.

Meanwhile, the PDM on Thursday announced a long march against Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government on March 26. According to Dawn, Rehman said the opposition parties in the PDM will contest the upcoming Senate elections jointly.

The PDM had orgsed several rallies including those in Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta, Multan, and Lahore since October 16.

( With inputs from ANI )