Pakistan Democratic Movement

PDM rally at Multan with Asifa Bhutto-Zardari and Yousaf Raza Gillani.

The PDM claims that the 2018 Pakistani general election, which was won by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was rigged by the Pakistani military establishment.[5] The PDM's slogan is vote ko izzat do (Urdu for "honour the vote"). However, Imran Khan's government maintains that the movement is motivated by a series of corruption cases against the leaders of the political parties that had previously governed Pakistan, namely the PML-N and the PPP.[7] Moreover, according to Imran Khan, the opposition never appealed to the legal bodies to contest the elections as the PTI had in the 2013 general elections and maintains that the opposition is still demanding National Reconcialiance Ordinance (NROs), giving their corruption a clean slate.[8] On 20 September 2020, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the center-left Pakistan Peoples Party, hosted an “all parties conference” at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel to form a grand political alliance and plan strategy for replacing the Imran Khan government. Fazal-ur-Rehman, a harsh critic of Imran Khan, read out the 26-point resolution adopted by the attendees. “The opposition unanimously demands the immediate resignation of Imran Khan,” Rehman told reporters. Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister, criticized Pakistan’s military Establishment in his address via video link, stating: “Imran Khan is not our target. Our struggle is against those who brought Imran Khan in power."

Protests organised by the PDM in October 2020 drew over 50,000 people.[9] The government has remained critical and dismissive of the rallies.[10] The PDM planned to hold a "long march" to the capital Islamabad in January 2021, aiming to oust the current elected government.[11]

The coalition was formed from 11 political parties (sorted alphabetically):

• Awami National Party
• Awami National Party–Wali[12]
• Balochistan National Party (Mengal)[6]
• Jamiat Ahle Hadith[13]
• Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
• Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan
• National Party–Bizenjo
• Pakistan Muslim League (N)
• Pakistan Peoples Party
• Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party
• Qaumi Watan Party[14]

PDM leadership.

• Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman (President)
• Nawaz Sharif
• Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (Secretary General)[1]
• Maryam Aurangzeb
• Maryam Nawaz
• Asif Ali Zardari
• Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (Senior Vice President)[3]
• Yousaf Raza Gillani
• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
• Mohsin Dawar
• Asfandyar Wali Khan
• Mian Iftikhar Hussain (Spokesperson/Secretary Information)[2]
• Akhtar Mengal
• Mahmood Khan Achakzai

• Gujranwala (16 October 2020)[15]
• Karachi (18 October 2020)[16]
• Quetta (25 October 2020)[17]
• Peshawar (22 November 2020)[18]
• Multan (30 November 2020)[19]
• Lahore (13 December 2020)[20]
• Larkana (27 December 2020)[21]
• Bahawalpur (3 January 2021)[22]
• Bannu ( 6 January 2021)[23]
• Burewala (11 January 2021)[24]
• Loralai (13 January 2021)[25]
• Islamabad (power show and protest outside of Election Commission of Pakistan) (19 January 2021)[26]
• Karachi ( PDM's "Israel Na manzoor" march)(21 January 2021) [27]
• Muzaffarabad (05 February 2021) [28]
• Hyderabad tentatively (09 February 2021) [29]
• Sialkot

(13 February 2021)

• Pishin

(16 February 2021)

• Sargodha

(23 February 2021)

• Khuzdar

(27 February 2021)

• Long march to Islamabad or General Headquarters (Pakistan Army) Rawalpindi ( from 26th March 2021)[30]
• Resignations from provincial assemblies and Parliament (tentatively after long march)[31]

Due to disagreements with Fazl-ur-Rehman's leadership, Maulana Sheerani, and other senior members of the JUI broke away and formed their own political party called the Jamiat-Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, claiming that Fazl had personalized the party and used it for his own needs, dismissing the needs of the party itself.[32]

Some political analysts comment that alliance within the PDM may be faltering as the players who previously were propped up by the establishment, are hesitant to face it, while others seek attention and 'a piece of the power pie'.[33]