PDM only put up a 'show' without any power, says information minister

• Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry terms PDM's public rally in Karachi just a "show devoid of any power".
• Says people who have lost their loved ones due to coronavirus pandemic will never forgive PDM leaders.
• Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says PTI government not worried over "unseasonal" public meetings of alliance. 

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The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has just exhibited a "show" in Karachi as it was "devoid of any power", says Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry.

Commenting on PDM’s public rally held Sunday, the information minister said the country had not found a more "incompetent and frivolous" opposition than the PDM. 

“They [PDM] will continue spending even the next seven years carrying protest banners,” he said, adding that the rally was actually against the PPP.

In his comments on the rally, the minister severely criticised the PDM leadership for holding such a public gathering in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic and violating precautionary measures.

He said under such circumstances, the opposition should have asked their workers to confine themselves to their homes, but they were bent on using their workers as fuel for personal political interests.

“How long will the opposition continue to play with the lives of innocent people? The people who lost their loved ones due to virus will never forgive them,” he said, adding that any alliance led by Fazlur Rehman was always unsuccessful. 

“Whatever alliance Maulana led could not succeed. The example of Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal [MMA] is in front of everyone,” he said.

'Govt not worried over PDM’s public meetings'

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, too, criticised PDM's public meeting, saying that the PTI government is not worried over the "unseasonal" public meetings of the alliance. 

The meetings can, however, spread coronavirus in the country, he said, while talking to different delegations from NA-156 in Multan.

In the last three years, PDM faced failure only, he said, adding that the opposition now wanted to come up with a new trick to fulfil its desires.

Qureshi posed a question over where were those who demanded PM Imran Khan’s resignation.

The foreign minister stated that under the vibrant leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country was on a journey of matchless development which could not be stopped by the noise of the Opposition.

The Opposition lacked any agenda for development, he said, maintaining that the Opposition was pursuing an agenda of chaos and anarchy. 

“Imran Khan is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy in order to eradicate the menace of corruption and hold looters accountable,” Qureshi said.

The PTI government will not accept any internal or external pressure in that regard, he added.

“It has become a tradition in the country to loot the national treasury, make properties and flee abroad, but this will not happen now,” Qureshi said, adding that for the first time in the history of the country, powerful looters, who looted national wealth, were brought to book.

PDM renews call for 'revolution' with march to Islamabad

The Pakistan Democratic Movement, in its first power show in months on Sunday, at Karachi's Bagh-e-Jinnah, declared its campaign is very much alive, and called upon the people to "rise and bring a revolution".

The Opposition alliance had said it will "bury the government with a tide of people that will storm Islamabad".

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was the last to address the rally, had said that the three-year performance of the PTI has revealed how the government has turned the state and the people "unsecured".

The PDM chief had said that while other nations continue to progress, Pakistan "has only regressed".

"Of course, amid all this, we cannot sit quietly and idly by. We have sworn to raise Pakistan's ranks among the great nations of the world," he had said.

Fazlur Rehman had also said that due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the COVID crisis, PDM's activities had undoubtedly been impacted, and people began to criticise how the movement has become silent, "but this sea of people, your enthusiasm bears witness that you are alive, the PDM is alive, and we will continue our journey forward without being stopped".

"It has no mandate. It came into power through fake votes. They are seated in power with the use of force.

"We will combat them all, including those that support such imposed leaders upon us," the PDM chief had added.

Fazlur Rehman had also reiterated the movement's stance that all governance must be in accordance with the Constitution, law and with the supremacy of parliament intact.

You can read our full coverage of the PDM Karachi rally here.