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JUI-F’s Azadi March: KP govt says won’t allow private force

By Bureau report & Yousaf Ali
October 14, 2019
Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai. File photo

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai on Sunday warned the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman against the stick-wielding, uniformed private force marching on the roads.

"When you are marching on roads in uniforms it means that you are erecting a force. This is a violation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and will not be tolerated," the minister said at a press conference here.

"I know who is pushing Fazlur Rehman; money is pushing him. He is threatening institutions, he is trying to use seminary students," the minister said. He added that the JUI-F chief was struggling to get incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari out of jail.

He warned the JUI-F chief against challenging the government’s writ. He said Fazlur Rehman was running a baseless campaign against the incumbent government. The minister said everyone had the right to protest, but the government would not allow what he termed was bloodshed on the roads in the name of demonstrations.

"The Maulana does not have the strength required to challenge democracy but, unfortunately, he has chosen to resort to undemocratic tactics," he said. To a question, he said Chief Minister Mehmood Khan had categorically stated the government would never allow the Maulana to use madrasa students for his "undemocratic and unethical activities."

Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has asked the government to tender resignation to save the country from further chaos and economic debacle. "The government still has time. It should quit or it would be forced to give up power," the Maulana said while addressing a training session of the party volunteers who would provide security to the Azadi March scheduled to reach Islamabad on October 31.

A large number of uniformed volunteers named Ansarul Islam attended the gathering. They have been trained and equipped with batons to provide security to the marchers on October 31. Fazlur Rahman said all the opposition parties were on the same page with regard to the need for stagingthe Azadi March. The march would actually start on October 27 across the country and gatherings would be held in all the cities to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, he added.

He said the marchers would enter the federal capital on October 31 in a peaceful manner. "We are peace-loving people. We are not like the ones who attacked the Parliament, Civil Secretariat and Pakistan Television. We didn't hang our wet trousers on the walls of Supreme Court," he remarked.

Referring to Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, the JUI-F head said, "He is talking about stopping us. Let me inform him that we are out here, but he can't be seen anywhere. When we come out, you won't find a place even in your home to hide."

He said that they had given the message of peace and wanted peace in return. "We can face batons, but you won't be able to bear even a whiff of the mullah," he mocked. He said that they would move forward and won't look back.

He urged the national institutions to stay calm and avoid indulging in any confrontation with the marchers. "It is not a single party, but the whole nation is marching towards Islamabad," he stressed.

The Maulana came down hard on the government, especially the prime minister. "I have never seen so much disrespect being shown to a prime minister during my life. Wherever he goes, no one comes to greet him. He is received by our own diplomats or class-IV officials of the host country," the Maulana maintained.

He said the nation has foiled the agenda of the 'puppet government'. "The ruling party had claimed to provide employment to 10 million people, but so far nearly two million youth have lost their jobs in the country," he claimed.

The JUI-F leader criticised the economic policies of the government, pointing out that the PTI government had started its economic journey with hens and eggs and has now started talking about 'LangarKhanas'.