National February 1, 2021 ISLAMABAD: The ultimatum given by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down by December 31 has passed amid taunts and jeers and by government leaders. The opposition alliance, however, has failed to come up with any plausible justification for its failure to achieve its target. Since day one, sceptics had said that the PDM’s ambitious deadline was set without any deep reflection or even a consensus within the PDM. The alliance was meant to ratchet up enough pressure on the prime minister to bow out by the end of the year or face the intensification of the opposition’s protest campaign. It now appears that this was a hasty decision and certain PDM parties were in a hurry to accomplish their intended objective without the required groundwork. It is instructive to look at the phases of the movement that were to unfold and the preparations done for their realization if Imran Khan did not resign by the stipulated cut-off date.