[Current Affairs] October 19,2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for FPSC Test Preparation

What’s going on? On Friday, 50,000 people reportedly gathered in Gujranwala to protest against the govt of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. No, not everyone was wearing a mask, and no, not everyone was socially distancing either. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, spearheaded the anti-govt rally. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are leading the movement. This was PDM’s first major public demonstration since launching last month.

The details: Demonstrators protested against rising inflation, especially for food staples like flour, pulses and vegetables. Leaders from main opposition parties addressed the crowd, including PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif (via video link from London), PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N VP (who is also Sharif’s daughter) Maryam, and JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Tell me more: Opposition party leaders often allege that the military rigged the 2018 election, which brought PM Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party into power. During the anti-govt rally, the opposition said some things, and more, about PM Khan and the army.

• Sharif: Sharif accused Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, of overthrowing his govt, pressuring the judiciary, and installing Khan in the 2018 election. Sharif’s comments were reportedly censored on all Pakistani TV channels.

• Maryam: She said no one should have the power to remove govts people vote for.

• Bhutto-Zardari: He accused PM Khan of being a “puppet and selected”.

• Rehman: He called the current govt “illegal” and claimed the ‘establishment’ imposed this govt on Pakistan.

Anti-govt rally round two: PDM had a second rally in Karachi on Sunday. While addressing reporters during pre-rally prep on Saturday, Bhutto-Zardari clarified that the opposition isn’t trying to affect the army’s morale. He insisted that every institution should do its job, which is why the army should protect the country’s borders instead of its polling stations. Maryam shared a similar sentiment at the rally on Sunday, and said there’s nothing wrong with telling the army to back off from politics. Other opposition leaders also attended, such as Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader, Mohsin Dawar, who claimed the army and its agencies are the real decision makers.

The govt’s response: After the first rally, PM Khan accused opposition members of trying to save themselves from corruption cases against them.

The bottom line: The military institution has directly ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its 73-year history. Opposition parties have come together to challenge the army’s alleged interference in politics. In the backdrop, PM Khan’s govt is trying to deal with an economic decline, unemployment, and soaring inflation.