PM Imran Khan directs party to mobilise, respond to Opposition on every forum

• Meeting with PTI leaders and coalition partners underway
• Meeting called with govt spokespersons later today
• New strategy to deal with Opposition under review

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed party leaders to respond to mobilise and the Opposition on every forum.

According to sources, the development came during a meeting chaired by the premier and attend by Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Special Assistant to PM on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on Monday.

The prime minister briefed party leadership and coalition partners on the government’s strategy to tackle the Opposition and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). He reiterated that the Opposition will not be given an NRO no matter how hard it tries. “They are doing jalsa to blackmail the government.”

The leadership agreed that the PDM was endangering public lives by holding public gatherings amid the second wave of novel coronavirus infections. The PTI leaders stressed that the people of Lahore had rejected PDM.

The premier has also called a meeting of the governments’ spokespersons later today.

PDM rally

The development comes following Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) jalsa in Lahore Sunday night. 

Fiery speeches were delivered by PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the rally as a long march to Islamabad was announced. 

Although no definite date was given for the march, Fazl put the timeframe for the march at the start of late January or early February next year. The PDM chief said the "illegitimate government" will not be allowed to rule, adding that the Opposition will only "rest after the PTI government is brought to an end".

Read our coverage of the PDM jalsa in Lahore

PM Imran Khan's response

Terming the 11-party Opposition alliance's show as 'pathetic', PM Imran Khan said PDM had spent "so much money, time, effort and displayed utter callousness by endangering people's lives during the COVID-19 spike showing the scant regard they have for citizens' safety and well-being".

"I will never give an NRO," he reiterated. "Whatever future plans of further blackmail PDM may have, my message is categorical: There will never be an NRO from my govt no matter what tactics the looters devise."