The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has announced the schedule for its protest rallies across the country to step up pressure on the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court in the contempt case, but stayed away from announcing any date for the long march which still seems to be the last option for the main opposition party.
The schedule, announced at Raiwind on Wednesday, hardly makes any mention of the date of the long march which the PML-N has announced to launch in case the PM continued to defy the SC verdict.
However, sources in the party said that the decision on the long march or the announcement of its date would be made public at the party public meeting in Lahore.
The PML-N announced its protest schedule at a time when the SC chief justice himself conceded to the government its right of appeal against the government and hinted at constituting a nine-member bench for the appeal hearings.
A senior party leader disclosed that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif would follow a soft-peddled approach for the time being and would not go too far to create a crisis in the country.
”This will undermine his 10-year struggle for democracy in Pakistan,” he commented.
The main aspect of the protest schedule announced is the party’s decision to reach out to other provinces, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and even Balochistan, with a plan to hold rallies from Pashin to Quetta, mainly areas dominated by Pashtuns.
PML-N leaders said the schedule for these protests outside Punjab would be announced later, probably after taking the party organisation on board.
Party insiders declared that the coming four to six weeks would be full of action and reaction.
Surely, a reaction from the PPP would promise a lot of fireworks and politicking in the coming days before the budget, amid signs of controversy about Gilani’s fate lingering on.
PML-N chief Nawaz will feature in some events according to party leaders, while Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would be the star speaker in others.
It has been learnt that Nawaz himself would be available at Taxila to kick start the protests on May 4.
According to the schedule announced by the PML-N, rallies would be held in Taxila on May 4, Gujranwala on May 7, Bahawalpur and Sargodha on May 8 and in PM Gilani’s hometown Multan on May 10, with Lahore hosting the last show of the protest rallies.
