Rift among parties joining ‘Shutdown Islamabad’

ISLAMABAD: A clear rift has emerged among the parties participating in ‘Shutdown Islamabad’ campaign as Sahibzada Hamid Raza says his party will fully participate in PTI’s protest. However, he would straightaway withdraw his party’s support if any banned religious party – including JuD and JUI-S participated in the protest.

Sheikh Rashid, on the other hand, talking to The News says he will convince Maulana Samiul Haq to participate in anti-government campaign. He said he was not sure whether JuD would attend the protest or not; however, he would surely bring Sami in the Islamabad protest.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, talking to The News, contradicted Sheikh Rashid’s claim and said they had neither invited any religious party of Difa-e-Pakistan Council nor would they do in coming days.

When asked Sheikh Rashid has claimed he would convince Sami, he said, “Sheikh Rashid has his own party. Maybe he is inviting them for his party’s function. However, PTI would not invite any religious party from Difa-e-Pakistan Council.”

Hamid, head of Sunni Ittehad Council told The News said after a meeting with Qureshi, his party had decided to participate in the PTI protest and would bring 35,000 to 40,000 participants from Faisalabad only.

“Everyone is well aware of our party’s street power and we will not only bring our workers from Faisalabad but from Gujranwala, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin and other districts as well. However, if the government stopped our workers then we would bring 3,000 to 4,000 workers with us, with the remaining staging sit-ins in the respective districts.”

“But if PTI brings other religious parties whose leaders’ names are in the Fourth Schedule then we would withdraw our support,” commented Hamid.

He said his father spent his whole life against the religious parties supporting Taliban and Al-Qaeda. “If these parties, against whom his deceased father fought the whole life, participate in the same forum then how could Sunni Ittehad Council be part of this alliance?”

When asked about the media perception that all the political parties known for their close links with the establishment have joined their hands, he said the government should expose him or his party, if there was any such thing.

“The government has all resources and Intelligence Bureau has become a B team of the civilian government. If I have any contacts with the establishment then the government should bring out the facts. I will not only resign from my party leadership but will accept any decision of the government against me,” Hamid claimed.

To a question how all of a sudden his party has decided to support Imran Khan in his anti-government campaign when neither he nor his party ever spoke a single word against the current government’s corruption, he said they had always done so.

Even his late father who quit the PML-N on the basis of differences, he said, adding that corruption was also one of the 12-points presented to Shahbaz Sharif. However, the PML-N leadership never took it seriously, Hamid claimed.

He said his party would never support imposition of martial law in the country and never wanted army’s interference.” All his party want is accountability and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should resign as he has been accused of corruption.”