ISLAMABAD - Due to incomplete preparations for upcoming first anti-government rally the newly-formed Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to hold the next rally on October 18 instead of October 11.

The sources within PDM told The Nation that the first anti-government protest was supposed to be held on October 11, but Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) sought some more time for preparations and this was the reason that protest will be taking place on October 18. The sources also said that JUI-F’s ‘Jalsa’ which was scheduled in Quetta on October 25 was also postponed.

The source said that all the parties in Quetta had expectations from the JUI-F and PkMAP for mobilising the masses because no other opposition parties had such street power possessed by JUI-F and PkMAP.

Answering a question, the source revealed that the opposition parties wanted to hold a huge gathering in Quetta against the government in order to let the government know about their street power. The source maintained that all the responsibilities were on the shoulders of JUI-F and PkMAP in Quetta protest.

A senior leader of JUI-F told The Nation that many top leaders of the opposition parties including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maryam Nawaz will address the rally in Quetta.

The senior leaders of PkMAP Senator Usman Kakar while talking exclusively to The Nation said that they had done all the preparations for the anti-government protest in Quetta on October 18.

He stated that they were ready even for October 11, but some major parties sought more time for preparations and mobilisation of their workers against the incumbent government.

Usman Kakar said that all opposition parties were on the same page against failed policies and incompetency of the Imran Khan-led government. He elaborated that they had taken the responsibility of creating awareness among the masses regarding the incompetency of the government.

Meanwhile, JUI-F senior leader and former senator Haji Ghulam Ali told The Nation that government was using many cheap means to stop Maulana Fazlur Rehman from pulling crowds to streets against the government.

He said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was the tool used by the Imran Khan government for harassing and suppressing opposition leadership for the purpose to avoid any resistance from them.

Haji Ghulam Ali maintained that all the eyes were on Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his workers across the country because he was the only leader who had been playing the role of real opposition against the government.

He maintained that all provincial leadership of JUI-F in KP and Balochistan had been given the tasks to mobilise the workers across the provinces with more power and courage.