PML-N to participate in Azadi March: Nawaz has given roadmap: Shahbaz

LAHORE/RAWALPINDI: The PML-N President and Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif while supporting the JUI-F said his party will participate in the Azadi March.

In a meeting with party leaders on Saturday, Shahbaz said party Quaid Nawaz Sharif has given the road map and instructed him to participate in the Azadi March.

He said a party delegation will inform Fazl about the details of Nawaz's letter. He said false statements are being attributed to him and clarified that he will stand by his elder brother Nawaz Sharif till his last breath. Shahbaz asked the PML N delegation to tell the JUI-F chief about his health condition. Later Shahbaz contacted Maulana Fazlur Rehman and discussed the future plan. Fazl thanked Nawaz Sharif for supporting the Azadi March.

Talking to the media after the party meeting over the letter written by PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif for JUI-F’s march, Ahsan Iqbal said Maulana Fazlur Rehman will lead the Azadi March while the opposition parties, including the PML-N, will take part in accordance with the directions from the party chief Nawaz Sharif. Iqbal said as per directions from the party chief a formal announcement would be made after holding consultations with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. “The party has been directed (by Nawaz Sharif) to first consult Maulana Fazlur Rehman and then make the letter public,”said Ahsan Iqbal, who was flanked by PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Amir Muqam and others. Nawaz Sharif during his remand hearing in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) money laundering case on Friday, had announced supporting the JUI-F’s anti-government march, saying he had written a detailed letter to Shahbaz Sharif to brief the party over their stance. “ Nawaz Sharif has shared comprehensive procedure and framework in black and white. We will follow his directions 100 percent,” Iqbal said answering to a question. He said there should not be any confusion. “Our method to participate (in the anti-government protest campaign) has been clearly laid down in the letter (by the party quaid),” he said. He said a delegation of the PML-N would soon meet JUI-F’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Ahsan also said the decision of the party chief reflects everyone's decision in the party therefore, the rumour mills churning out propaganda of a split in the PML-N should stop working overtime, he said. He said politics has dropped to such a level that issues of someone’s ailment also become politicised. He also referred to the conspiracies theories when the late Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, was undergoing terminal treatment. The former federal minister said PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif is suffering from backache for the last 20 years but despite this he is playing an active role in the party. He said Shahbaz Sharif would perform any duty assigned by the party chief. Earlier, as per directions from Nawaz Sharif, a consultative meeting of the party was held at Shahbaz Sharif’s Model Town residence to discuss the letter. Among others, Hanif Abbasi, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Barjees Tahir and Pervaiz Malik attended.

Talking to journalists in Rawalpindi on Saturday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman warned that a retribution will follow if the government uses violence against the peaceful protesters. Fazl said that Azadi March would be carried out peacefully without any confrontation with any institution adding, "we did not want any confrontation with the institutions." Fazl said the establishment is impartial and has stopped interfering in the political affairs. He said, "No institution should snatch our right form us. If this right is snatched from us we will take revenge today or tomorrow." Fazl said, "Our peaceful sentiments should not be taken as a weakness. Pakistan belongs to all of us. No one has the right to impose himself on the nation by stealing votes." He said they had not accepted the incumbent government's right to rule the country from day one. Fazl said the rulers will have to resign, adding the entire nation is ready and committed to send the illegal and incompetent government home packing. He said the Azadi March will start on October 27and will enter Islamabad on October 31.

The JUI-F chief said there has been no contact with the government, adding if there is any suggestion to stop Azadi March then it should be brought forward and we will consider it. The JUI-F chief said the rulers had earlier pledged to provide a container but now they are even denying us the passage. Fazl claimed Imran has sold the Kashmir issue adding the prime minister did nothing diplomatically to stop India from revoking Article 370 adding we failed to secure the confidence of the US and other friendly countries who did not vote for us at the UN's human rights platform. Fazl said the government had pledged to provide 10 million jobs to the youth but during one year 1.5 to two million youth have become jobless instead.