Pak opposition to launch protests, rallies against rising inflation, EVMs, NAB ordinance

Pakistan's opposition alliance - Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Monday said that they will be launching countrywide protest demonstrations and rallies from Wednesday against rising inflation, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance.

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told a news conference that besides the rising inflation, a PDM meeting also discussed issues of Electronic Voting Machines and NAB (Second Amendment) Ordinance, reported The News International.

"There will be shutter-down strikes and we will move step by step towards a long march," he said.

The prices of edible oil and ghee have gone up while prices of food items have caused concerns among people in Pakistan.

In addition to the increasing inflation and prices of petroleum, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has also hiked electricity and gas tariffs in the country.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz attended the meeting through video link. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and other PDM leaders also attended the meeting. Fazlur Rehman said the PDM leadership categorically rejected the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Second Amendment Ordinance, reported The News International.

The PDM chief said that the NAB ordinance itself was a dictatorship's remains and the same was being used for political revenge and, therefore, no one could expect fair accountability by the NAB.

On electoral reforms, he said the use of EVMs was another name of RTS that was used to steal the 2018 general elections. "No one can expect electoral reforms for fair elections from a government which itself assumed power as a result of rigged polls," he said, adding that the incumbent government had no right to give election laws to the country, reported The News International.

Fazlur Rehman said there was no need for local bodies' elections, rather, the opposition wanted fresh elections in the country. He said rallies and protest demonstrations would be held in every district of the country, adding that the option of a long march towards Islamabad was also under consideration.

( With inputs from ANI )

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