Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The opposition has decided on Monday that the option of dialogue with the government could be open if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led (PTI) government allows the Jamiat Ulma-i-Islam-F to take out a peaceful Azadi March on October 27.
The opposition put the condition before the government after a meeting of its Rahbar Committee at the residence of Akram Durrani in Islamabad.
After the meeting, Durrani told a press conference that the opposition’s demand for resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan is still intact but the joint opposition was open for a meeting with the government’s committee. He, however, put a condition that for dialogue, the government would have to assure that a peaceful Azadi march takes place.
He alleged that the government’s committee was not serious in dialogue. The prime minister’s statements are also showing non-seriousness, he added.
Durrani made it clear that there would be no compromise on the Azadi March scheduled to be taken out on October 27. He also assured the government that the march will remain peaceful.
“The condition put forward by the All Parties Conference are our conditions,” he said, adding that dialogue will not take place in the absence of even one member of the Rahbar Committee.
Durrani asked the government not to approach the opposition parties separately.
Representatives of nine opposition parties, including the PPP, the PML-N and the Awami National Party and others participated in the meeting. The opposition announced the decision hours after the federal cabinet approved a summary seeking a ban on the “militant wing” of the JUI-F. According to the sources in cabinet secretariat, the summary moved by the interior ministry was approved through circulation just a day ahead of a cabinet meeting. The government took the measure to avoid a discussion on the matter in the cabinet, the sources added.
