Sharif has been living in London since November 2019 after he was allowed by the courts and the government to go there for a period of eight weeks for medical treatment. But he did not come back. However, his lawyers told the court that he was still recovering.

But the Pakistan Peoples’ Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who couldn’t make it to Bagh-e-Jinnah said that his party would not be taking names of army generals at gatherings as it could affect their morale, but cautioned that the army’s job “is to protect the borders We had either dictatorship or controlled democracy. We do not want their [military’s] morale to go down. We want a real and complete democracy. We do not look at umpire’s finger but we look to the people’s signal.”

Maryam Nawaz, attacked the PTI government for declaring opposition leaders and her father as "traitors"…When answers are demanded, you say we are traitors," she quipped. Fatima Jinnah, the sister of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was also declared a traitor, Maryam Nawaz stated. She tweeted, “Maryam Nawaz Sharif:

It’s heartening to see civilians breaking shackles of fear, standing up for supremacy of constitution & reclaiming their long lost rights. The conspiracy & conspirators stand badly exposed. Thank you @BBhuttoZardari for your support & clear stance. Pakistan has changed

The leaders at second rally of PDM, formed to oust the PTI-led government, called the Imran government "incapable and clueless” and worse than a dictatorship The PDM has planned a series of rallies public meetings and demonstrations across the country, culminating a "decisive long march" to Islamabad in January next year. Among the speakers at the rally were PML-N vice presidents Maryam Nawaz (daughter of Nawaz Sharif) and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Achakzai and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman were among the leaders of opposition parties who attended the rally. The PPP invited Mohsin Dawar, who heads the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement.

The Pakistan PM called the rally ‘a circus’ bur took the potshots mostly at Nawaz Sharif at a conference of PTI functionaries and in an angered tone, quite unbecoming of a leader of national stature, he said. “…this jackal [Nawaz Sharif], who ran from here, is sitting there [in London] used this language against our army chief and the DG ISI," he said as the crowd shouted in anger."This is the Nawaz Sharif — and many of you will not remember because you were not even born then — this is that Nawaz Sharif who became a minister by [gaining favour with] General Jilani! This is the same person who became chief minister polishing General Ziaul Haq's boots. This is that same man who took millions from the Mehran Bank from former ISI chief General Asad Durrani to fight elections against Benazir Bhutto."

The premier threatened the PDM, without naming it or leaders thereof. The PTI government would toughen its treatment towards all who were making noises against his government.

Little wonder, he praised the ‘miltablishment’ in an appeasing manner. Pak Army and Gen Bajwa is standing with us everywhere. They [the Opposition] are now attempting to create problems between our government and the army, or to create discord within the army."

But the billion rupee question is whether the PDM is structurally capable for offering a stable and free democratic order that will pave the way for a political system with the army back into barracks, To quote a Singapore-based non-resident Pakistani legal expert, “It is hard to have sympathy for the key players in the Pakistan Democratic Movement. Its president, Fazlur Rahman, is no champion of progressive values. When he took to the streets in his ‘Azadi March’ last year, he claimed he was protesting against those who set Aasia Bibi free. Maintaining a consistent trend of problematic religious views in line with his past. The Maulana enjoys injecting Islamic fundamentalism into the political discourse of a country already inebriated with it.”

Furthermore, both the PML-N and PPP function as dynastic political parties. ‘Instead of genuine political workers rising up the ranks, the parties are inherited by the progeny of Sharif and Bhutto. Our historical landscape is littered with disintegrating democratic mandates. Democracy’s survival requires uninterrupted periods of democracy. Another collapse of a government does not allow that to happen,” the Singapore-based Pakistani observed.

PDM is at the most a turning point in the battle for democracy in the troubled state of Pakistan. (IPA Service)