ISLAMABAD: The top leadership of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition political parties, is going to deliberate the en masse resignation option from the assemblies in a crucial meeting today (Tuesday) as part of its anti-government movement.

To be chaired by its president and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the meeting would be attended by top leaders of all 11 parties, including two national parties senior leadership notably Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz with Nawaz Sharif participating via video link from London.

"Besides other important matters, the meeting would also review the option of en masse resignations from National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies," a source within PDM said on condition of anonymity.

PML-N and JUI-F, according to sources, are pressing for exercising the option of en masse resignations from assemblies as the 'only option' to ultimately 'topple' the PTI government - a move which the PPP is believed to be hesitant to opt for because of its provincial government in Sindh.

While addressing PML-N social media convention in Lahore on Sunday, Maryam Nawaz announced that the PDM is going to take 'big decisions' and urged parliamentarians from the opposition parties to stand by their leadership 'if they decide in favour of resignations'.

"The December 8 meeting of the PDM would be a decisive one - a 'do or die' session," she told party workers. Following the announcement, a PML-N member of the National Assembly from Sargodha Chaudhry Hamid Hameed submitted his resignation to party leadership on Monday.

"The leadership has not yet formally asked the party lawmakers to submit their resignations. I submitted my own resignation to the leadership voluntarily in response to Maryam Nawaz's appeal to the opposition parliamentarians as mark of confidence in the leadership that we would abide by whatever decision they take," Chaudhry Hamid Hameed said while talking to Business Recorder.

He claimed that more PML-N members - from both national and provincial assemblies - would submit their resignations to the party leadership in a day or two.

In his resignation, addressed to Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser - a copy of which is also available with Business Recorder - the MNA stated: "As this 'selected' government has become a huge burden on masses and it has become imperative to send it packing. For the purpose, I am going to tender my resignation as member of the National Assembly from NA-90...I would abide by every decision to be taken by the party leadership."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020