Says near to achieving objectives; Economy in the hands of IMF now; Tells gathering Imran was first selected, now rejected
Sarwar Awan
Islamabad
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday said all opposition parties conveyed their full support to ‘Azadi March’ during the All Parties Conference and so, “All rumours of rift among opposition parties have died down.”
Addressing the protesters, Fazlur Rehman said the leaders of opposition parties unanimously said that they would decide when to call off the Azadi March underway in Islamabad. He thanked the opposition parties for encouraging the JUI-F supporters to continue with their protest.
Fazl said just the way it was in 2014, Imran is on one side, whereas, all other political parties on the other. “Imran Khan was first selected, now he is rejected,” Fazl told to the crowd.
Maulana Fazl, who hosted a multi-party conference quoting opposition leaders, said all opposition parties gave the assurance that they will not leave the JUI-F alone in the anti-government movement. “We will walk with you side by side every step of the way,” they said.
The JUI-F chief said the “rumours” that were being spread regarding various parties’ association with the Azadi March had been quashed with the APC.
He told participants of the march that they were close to achieving the objective of the anti-government protest. “Today, the opposition parties have decided that we will plan the future strategy for the Azadi March, and not you,” said the JUI-F supremo in an indirect message to the ruling PTI.
Fazl said that the sit-in will continue until the demands are met or the All Parties’ Conference comes to a conclusion on it.
“We want to pull Pakistan out of isolation,” said the JUI-F leader, adding that there is something going on at every front. Fazl criticised the PTI government’s economic policies, saying the country’s economy is now fully in the hands of the IMF. “We cannot tolerate further decline of Pakistan,” he told the Azadi March participants.
Meanwhile, JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said the multi-party conference hosted by JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman was “very positive”.
“Efforts are being made to resolve all issues through dialogue,” he told reporters after the opposition APC.
The JUI-F leader also announced that their protest will not be shifted to any other site as all basic facilities are available in H-9, the march’s current venue.
Following the both committees session, Pervez Khattak spoke to media, where government committee’s incharge said that first round of talks seemed successful.
During APC, Fazl told the leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N that insignificant gains should not be preferred over the challenges facing the country’s people.
The APC was attended by oppsosition leaders, including Ayaz Sadiq, Nayyar Bukhari, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Zahid Khan, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Sherpao, and other opposition members.
