Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday hit out at leaders of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for its rally in front of the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Islamabad. Minister Rashid said television footage showed “not more than 3,000 people” had attended the protest.
Addressing a press conference shortly after the PDM rally, he said the PDM leaders were “forgetting that Prime Minister Imran Khan gave them the permission to enter the capital’s Red Zone”, adding that he also had the same opinion “to let you play openly”.
“After this [rally], whatever small worry we had [about the long march] has dissipated. We did not even shut the metro bus service; that is [the level of your] political strength.”
He also challenged some of the opposition’s claims, saying no one had “served more jail time than I have” for the sake of Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prophethood). “What have you gotten into? This game is not in your destiny.”
Rashid also responded to Rehman’s remarks that the government had a “problem” with students of madressahs attending political rallies, saying: “You are inciting children. I have not talked about religious students, I have talked about children.” “I thank the madressahs and ulema of Islamabad for showing responsibility. It was a Jummah bazaar of those hungry for power.” Moving on to PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s speech, he advised her to read more about the Broadsheet scandal.
