By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief MaulanaFazlurRehman on Monday said they are close to achieving the objective of the anti-government protest. He said opposition has agreed that only we will decide when to call off this sit-in.
Addressing the participants of Azadi March in federal capital, he said we want to see a stronger Pakistan. He said all political parties are on same page and government remains alone today. He said APC of opposition has appreciated Azadin March. Fazl said opposition has agreed that only we will decide when to leave this sit-in. He said we are getting closer towards our goals. FazlurRehman said all opposition parties today gave the assurance that they will not leave the JUI-F alone in the anti-government movement.
“We want to pull Pakistan out of isolation,” said the JUI-F leader, adding that there is something going on at every front.
“Imran Khan was first selected, now he is rejected,” said Fazl to the crowd.
On the meeting, Fazl said that the doubt about the opposition being divided has been laid to rest.
He said rumors against azadi march have lost pace, adding that he is truly grateful to opposition leaders who supported and paid us rich tribute to this March.
He said Azadi March is voice of entire nation. He said Pakistan s foreign policy is a failure and internally country is unstable, adding that loans taken in one year are more than the those taken in 70 years of history.
Earlier, an All Parties Conference (APC) of the opposition parties decided to continue sit-in for two more days.
The decision was taken during an all parties conference summoned by JamiatUlema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief MaulanaFazlurRehman for planning a joint course of action for the Azadi marchers to proceed for increasing pressure on the government. All opposition parties had been invited to attend the APC.
Sources said that the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supported to continue sit-in for two more days.
The PPP and PML-N are not against staging sit-in at Peshawar Mor but against staging sit-in at D-Chowk.
Both the opposition parties opposed marching towards D-Chowk and staging sit-in.
Sources further said that the sit-in would continue until the government’s negotiating team and opposition’s Rehbar Committee reach any conclusion.
Agencies add: An All Parties Conference (APC) of the opposition parties on Monday decided to continue sit-in for two more days.
The decision was taken during an all parties conference summoned by JamiatUlema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief MaulanaFazlurRehman for planning a joint course of action for the Azadi marchers to proceed for increasing pressure on the government. All opposition parties had been invited to attend the APC.
Sources said that the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supported to continue sit-in for two more days.
The PPP and PML-N are not against staging sit-in at Peshawar Mor but against staging sit-in at D-Chowk.
Both the opposition parties opposed marching towards D-Chowk and staging sit-in.
Sources further said that the sit-in would continue until the government’s negotiating team and opposition’s Rehbar Committee reach any conclusion.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have not attended an all-party conference headed by MaulanaFazlurRehman.
PML-N leader AhsanIqbal had announced that party president Shehbaz Sharif would not attend the conference, and the party delegation will instead be lead by former NA speaker AyazSadiq.
Iqbal made the announcement after the PML-N decided to throw its full support behind the JUI-F led Azadi March.
Ahsan was speaking to the media after a party meeting held under PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s chairmanship ended in Lahore.
Iqbal added that the PML-N’s point of view will be presented before the Rehbar committee, adding that opposition should stand on a united platform in their struggle against the government.
Yesterday, following a meeting of JUI-F leadership, veteran politician FazlurRehman decided to continue the sit-in protest campaign. The meeting discussed the Rehbar Committee’s recommendations including resignations, shutter down strike across the country and countywide wheel-jam strike.
The JUI-F chief decided to summon an APC on the issue of sit-in, while head of the Rehbar Committee AkramDurrani has been tasked to contact the opposition parties for the APC.
Earlier, the opposition’s Rehbar Committee recommended a plan to shift the protest venue to D-Chowk, resignation of opposition members of the National Assembly, blocking highways and indefinite shutter-down strike to cripple functioning of the federal government. However, the plans appear to be keep on changing citing new developments in the capital city.
On Saturday, the JUI-F chief vowed to topple the ruling regime and run the country. Addressing the participants of the Islamabad sit-in, he said that writ of the incumbent government has ended and now “we will run the country”.
He said: “We will provide satisfaction and protection to the country.” Fazl asked the government to “step down and don’t test our patience”.
He vowed to continue protest until the toppling of the government.
On Friday, the JUI-F chief had given a two-day deadline to Prime Minister Imran Khan for resignation or else he said: “We will be forced to think of another strategy”. Fazl, while welcoming the leaders of political parties in Azadi March, said they [the protesters] would not be able to exercise patience after two days.
As the JUI-F has raised its stakes in a protest campaign that the government has denounced as a threat to democracy, the government has refused to accept the Rehbar Committee’s demands which have led to persistent deadlock.
The JUI-F chief had said this was not a gathering of any single political party but a gathering of whole nation, adding that the nation has stood against the government on one platform. He further said: “We do not accept results of 2018 general elections.”
