ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani opposition alliance on Tuesday announced its decision to march against inflation and bring down the government by entering the country’s federal capital on Republic Day on March 23.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance was formed by 11 opposition factions in September 2020 against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration.
It held several anti-government rallies across the country but developed differences over its political strategy and lost two of its members.
The PDM mostly focused on political issues while managing its campaign, though it has now started paying greater attention to the economic issues.
“People will start moving toward Islamabad from every corner of the country on March 23,” Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the alliance president, told journalists after consulting other political parties in a meeting held in the federal capital. “This will also be the last nail and bring an end to the rule of the current administration.”
Rehman blamed the government for the present economic turmoil of Pakistan, saying it was playing with the financial well-being of the people.
Discussing the recent supplementary finance bill passed by the National Assembly earlier this month, he said it had burdened Pakistan’s ordinary citizens by raising the prices of all essential items.
The PDM president said the opposition alliance rejected the “mini-budget” and wanted the government to take it back.
Rehman also accused the government of creating circumstances that would allow international financial institutions to influence the country’s central bank on the pretext of offering it greater autonomy.
“This will end Pakistan’s [economic] sovereignty,” he maintained, adding that it seemed the country was moving toward colonization once again.
“Our independence is dear to us and we will not allow any ruler to compromise it,” he continued.
Referring to a recent report compiled by the Election Commission of Pakistan’s scrutiny committee which showed the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party received funding from foreign nationals while concealing several of its bank accounts, he asked the election regulatory authority to disqualify the prime minister and disband his party.
Rehman noted it was important to bring down the government since it was creating economic deprivations among people of the country.
Opposition alliance announces anti-government march on Pakistan Day
https://arab.news/brwfy
Opposition alliance announces anti-government march on Pakistan Day
- The Pakistan Democratic Movement says it will march on Islamabad to register protest against rising inflation
- The alliance asks the country’s election body to disqualify the prime minister, disband his political party
Pakistan Air Force conducts ‘Exercise Golden Eagle’ to test combat readiness, agility
- The exercise follows an intense, four-day Pakistan-India military conflict in May 2025
- It focused on AI-enabled operations integrating disruptive technologies, military says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has conducted “Exercise Golden Eagle” that successfully validated its combat readiness and operational agility through synchronized employment of the PAF’s complete combat potential, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.
It comes months after Pakistan’s four-day military conflict with India in May, with Islamabad claiming victory in the standoff after the PAF claimed to have shot down at least six Indian fighter aircraft, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged some losses but did not specify a number.
The exercise was conducted on a Two-Force construct, focusing on AI-enabled, net-centric operations while integrating indigenous niche, disruptive and smart technologies in line with evolving regional security dynamics, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Operating within a robust Integrated Air Defense System, friendly forces shaped the battlespace through seamless fusion of kinetic operations with cyber, space and electro-magnetic spectrum operations.
“The kinetic phase featured First-Shoot, First-Kill swing-role combat aircraft equipped with long-range BVR air-to-air missiles, extended-range stand-off weapons and precision strike capabilities, supported by Airborne Early Warning & Control platforms and Air-to-Air Refuelers,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“A key highlight of the exercise was Manned–Unmanned Teaming, with deep-reach killer drones and loitering munitions operating in a highly contested, congested and degraded environment, validating PAF’s capability to conduct high-tempo operations in modern warfare.”
In recent months, many countries have stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple nations have proposed learning from the PAF’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that officials say were successfully employed during the May conflict.
“The successful conduct of Exercise Golden Eagle reaffirms Pakistan Air Force’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a high state of operational preparedness, leveraging indigenous innovation and effectively countering emerging and future security challenges,” the ISPR added.
