Pakistan Opposition Parties Unite; Tens Of Thousands Rally Against Prime Minister Imran Khan's Government

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied on October 18 in the city of Karachi as part of a campaign to oust Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged 2018 election. Nine major opposition parties formed a joint platform called the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in September to begin a nationwide agitation against the government. This second gathering three days drew growing crowds. Maryam Nawaz is the daughter and political heir of the former three-time premier Nawaz Sharif. "Our farmers have hunger in their homes... our youth is disappointed," said another opposition leader, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The protests come as the country's economy, which had already tanked before the global pandemic, struggles with double digit inflation and negative growth, which Khan's opponents blame on his government. The rally in Karachi followed a protest by the alliance in eastern Gujranwala city on October 16, which was the biggest demonstration against Khan since he took office. The protest in Gujranwala was the first held by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition political parties that have united to oust Khan from power. Speaking via video link from London to the Gujranwala gathering, Sharif accused army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa of rigging the 2018 elections and orchestrating his ouster in 2017 in what he said were trumped up charges aided by judiciary. The military, which denies meddling in politics or electoral wrongdoing, has yet to respond specifically to Sharif's accusations. Khan, who came to power on an anti-graft platform and denies the army helped him win, has defended the military.