Fazl considering million march against Imran govt in March

ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is considering holding a million march followed by a dharna (sit-in) in Islamabad against the PTI government next month. After a series of successful public rallies held in different parts of the country, Fazl is now preparing for a final show in Islamabad.

Informed sources said the purpose of the march will be to target the PTI government and possibly seek its removal from power and fresh elections.

The million march and the sit-in will be organised from the platform of MMA, while other opposition political parties will also be invited to join the protest. However, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq told this correspondent that he does not know about any such long march.

Siraj said the JUI was following its own political agenda, while the JI was pursuing its own. A PPP leader confided to The News that the Maulana had already shared his thoughts with the PPP. The PPP source said Fazl intended to hold a million march in March but had yet to decide the exact date.

The source said the PPP was told by the Maulana that the million march will be followed by a sit-in, which will continue till meeting of protesters’ demands. After losing the 2018 elections, which he termed completely rigged, Fazl has never accepted the government.

The other opposition political parties too had rejected the election results but they did not agree to the Maulana’s view of not taking oath of the present parliament. Fazl wanted immediate re-election, while the other opposition political parties decided to get the rigging allegations probed and give the government the chance to rule.

The PML-N and PPP's top leadership assured the PTI government in parliament that they would let the government run and would not be part of any move to dislodge Imran Khan. However, Fazl, although allowed his members to take oath of the National and provincial assemblies, yet he never showed any mercy for Imran Khan and his government.

When The News senior staffer Ahmad Noorani contacted JUI-F spokesman Maulana Amjad and asked him about the party’s consideration of a long march and sit-in against the government next month, he avoided offering any comment and promised that he would call back within an hour's time. However, Maulana Amjad neither called back nor attended the call.