The opposition parties are all set to stage a power show in Mardan where a protest rally has been planned, launching of the second phase of PDM’s anti-government movement, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, being the PDM president, will lead the protest while PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, PPP senior leader Yousaf Raza Gillani and other leaders are also scheduled to address the Wednesday’s event.

As per plan announced by the opposition alliance, the main rally will start from Sang-e-Marmar – a neighbourhood in the city – and culminate at Mardan-Nowshera Road as a public gathering where the PDM leaders are going to deliver their speeches.

During the process, the main rally will pass through Hoti Bazaar, Khawaja Ganj Bazaar, Bank Road, Katchery Chowk and College Chowk.

Earlier, Fazl will reach Mardan after leading a procession from Shergarh, Maryam from Col Sher Khan Interchange, Gillani from Gujar Garhi and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri from Katlang.

The protest rally in Mardan is the first in a series of protests to be organised across the country in the coming weeks before the planned long march towards Islamabad after staging successful rallies in big urban centres – Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan and Lahore.   

Earlier, the PDM had shared its decision to hold protests at divisional headquarters in the movement’s second phase with the option of a wheel-jam strike also considered but not announced yet.