JUI-F ends highways blockade

ISLAMABAD/BANNU: The opposition’s Rahbar Committee announced an end to blocking highways across the country on Tuesday, Geo News reported.

The announcement was made by Rahbar committee’s convenor Akram Durrani after a meeting of the committee. “The committee has decided to open highways across the country,” said Durrani.

He said the opposition committee had also decided to call an All Parties Conference (APC), adding Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will hold talks with leaders of other opposition parties to decide the date of the conference.

Durrani said hours long meeting of the committee had been held in which questions were raised and some answers were given. Durrani said all opposition parties reiterated their four demands. “The prime minister has to resign and new elections need to be held in the country,” he said, adding the committee would suggest names for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members.

He said the Rahbar Committee will protest in front of the ECP against the delay in foreign funding case verdict. Durrani said the protests would not end as the opposition would hold rallies at district level, adding the government had gotten nervous after the Azadi March and the protests that followed.

He also said no one was ready to take up the mantle of the prime minister in case this government was sent packing. “No one is ready to become the prime minister in case Imran Khan goes home,” he said.

Durrani acknowledged that there were differences among the opposition parties on certain issues. “The Rahbar Committee is made up of nine political parties and there can be difference of opinion on certain issues.”

He said after the Plan-B, there was no need for another plan. Durrani added the Azadi March and Nawaz Sharif’s health issue had taken the government on the back foot.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan only had a few days, Geo News reported.

Speaking to participants of a sit-in here, he said the time for the government was running out. “The roots of this government have been cut. They have only a number of days left,” he warned.

Maulana Fazl said Prime Minister Khan was trying to be the Gorbachev of Pakistan and alleged that he had given his sister Aleema Khan a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). “Khan has given his sister an NRO,” he said. “Give us a similar sewing machine which can earn you Rs70 billion in one year,” he added.

The JUI-F chief was responding to the Prime Minister’s taunts and tirade the other day when he labelled Fazl’s anti-government protest as a “circus”.