“Governments are not toppled by long marches,” Says Sheikh Rashid

Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has on Thursday said that the governments are not toppled by long marches.

Addressing media in Rawalpindi the Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed urged the Opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to participate in open voting during the Senate elections.

He said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to end the process of horse-trading, and that the parliamentarians should have the courage to openly vote for their candidate.

The Senate polls will be held in March which will further strengthen democracy. The anger in Pakistan Democratic Movement has cooled down. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) President Fazal-ur-Rehman has calmed down relatively and he should participate in the Senate elections, said the Federal Interior Minister.

He said that the anti-government drive’s last option will either be long march or no-confidence motion. Nothing will happen even of the opposition parties tender resignations.

Sheikh Rashid also added that the dialogues are last option in politics. Democracy is strengthened by negotiations and those who keep the doors of talks shut derail democracy.

Moreover, he said that he will give a befitting response on today’s PDM meeting at his political center Laal Haveli tomorrow.

It is pertinent to mention here that PDM will meet today in Islamabad to mull over the future course of action against Imran Khan Leadership.

The meeting will be chaired by PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Resignations from assemblies, long march and no-confidence motion against PTI is expected to come under the discussion.

All the top leaders of the constituent parties in the opposition alliance, including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maryam Nawaz, will attend the meeting, while PML N Supreme Leader Nawaz Sharif and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari will join via video link.