PML-N, JUI-F agree on Islamabad lockdown

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) have agreed in principle to launch an anti-government movement by holding an ‘Azadi March’ on Islamabad.

Central leadership of both the parties reached consensus to launch a decisive protest campaign against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in a meeting, held here late Sunday evening. The date of ‘Azadi March’ would be decided after holding further consultations.

Today’s meeting was part of JUI-F’s efforts to muster support of the opposition parties for launching a protest campaign against Imran Khan-led government. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had sought support of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif for the Islamabad lockdown.

The Maulana, along with a delegation of his party leaders, paid a visit to the PML-N head office at Model Town where Shahbaz Sharif received him, along with other party office-bearers. Talking to the media after the meeting, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said the party leadership supported the JUI-F plan to launch a campaign against the incumbent government. He said the PML-N president met the JUI-F delegation under the instructions of Mian Nawaz Sharif. The two sides reached consensus on holding the ‘Azad March’ towards Islamabad. However, he added, modalities of the important event would be announced after discussing it in the upcoming meeting of the PML-N Central Executive Committee meeting on Sept 30, and subsequent green signal by party supremo Nawaz Sharif. Ahsan said both parties also condemned arrest of political leaders belonging to the opposition parties. They demanded the government release political prisoners immediately. He said the working community, farmers and other section of society had been perturbed over deteriorating economic situation of the country. Unemployment was on the rise and failure of the government on economic front had been disastrous for the entire country, he added.

The PTI government should resign and hold fresh elections. He said Imran Khan should quit politics like Tahirul Qadri and the government should hold fresh elections in the country. JUI-F leader Akram Durrani said on the occasion his party was thankful to Mian Shahbaz Sharif over supporting the initiative of his party of holding a sit-in in the federal capital against the incumbent government. The ‘Azadi March’ is not merely a decision of two parties but of 220 million people of Pakistan, he said adding that “we will contact all opposition parties for winning their support for the anti-government mega show”.