QUETTA: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), in a show of defiance coupled with street power, held its third anti-government rally in the Balochistan capital on Sunday and reiterated their resolve to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying “the sun is about to set” on his government.
The gathering was held at Quetta’s Ayub Stadium, despite a warning by the government that militants can target it.
Among the PDM leadership, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as well as JUI-F chief and PDM leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, all addressed the large show of supporters who gathered to hear the Opposition speak.
Maryam began by saying sentiments of Pakistanis were hurt after depictions of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) were projected onto government buildings in France.
She asked the people to raise their hands and record their protests against such disrespectful actions.
The PML-N vice-president also lamented over the non-provision of scholarships to the students of Balochistan. “The students of Balochistan and Punjab are close to my heart.”
“The children of Balochistan were crying on the streets for the last 12 days [for their scholarships] but no one inquired about their condition,” she said, hoping that their scholarships would be resumed.
“I love the people of Balochistan more than the people of Punjab,” she said, speaking of her intentions behind donning a traditional Balochi dress.
Jalsa attendees were heard chanting intermittently: “Charon subon ki awaz Maryam Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz (The voice of four provinces Maryam Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz)” and “Vote ko izzat do (give respect to vote)”.
Maryam stressed that the people of Balochistan have just as much a right to elect their own representatives as anyone else in the country.
Talking about a girl who had approached her ahead of the jalsa and informed her that three of her brothers had “disappeared”, she said that when she and her father were detained, she did not cry, however, after hearing the girl’s story, her eyes were full of tears.