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The dormant Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) seems to be rising from the ashes to reassert itself once again. The alliance of some opposition parties has once again decided to launch a nationwide campaign for the government’s ouster.
This time it has conveniently cited the rising inflation and hike in petrol prices as an excuse against the government. The alliance has announced protests rallies and public meetings in major cities and has called on people to come out on the streets. However, the date for the elusive long march is nowhere in sight and so are the expectations that it will succeed in its objectives.
The PDM has rejected any possibility of allowing the PPP to return to the alliance. It seems to move on without the major opposition party which has announced its own protest rallies. PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is adamant that they are not playing a futile game. However, the incidents over the past has been quite the opposite as the PDM failed to even create a coherent strategy against the government and disintegrated from within.
The opposition has pressing concerns against the government. The price of petrol has been hiked eight times in the past four months, the rupee has devalued to historic levels and the government has failed to control persistent high inflation. The much-heralded current account has slipped into a deficit and the government once again has to accept painful restrictions to secure the IMF’s bailout. But questions still remain if the PDM can use these issues for its own political purposes.
The PDM is been viewed as a dead elephant and may have a hard time asserting itself. There is no chance of snap elections and Prime Minister Imran Khan seems on track to complete his five-year tenure. In such circumstances, the opposition has no option but to use the alliance as a rallying point for the next general elections. The opposition believes the government’s days a limited but it needs some soul-searching before its tackles the government once again.
