Maulana Fazl tells ‘forces supporting PTI govt’ to back off

JUI-F chief warns attempts to stop ‘Azadi March’ will create mayhem; demands fresh polls

PESAHWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday urged the establishment, bureaucracy, and police to stop backing the “illegitimate” government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) if they want to avoid the mayhem in the country.

“The JUI-F’s Azadi March [on Islamabad on Oct 27] is a war that will only end with the fall of this government,” Fazl said at a news conference.

“Those supporting the PTI government should back off. Otherwise, they will have to put up with the worst form of resistance,” he warned, adding that he did not want to clash with state institutions.

“If you try to stop us and arrest anyone, it will further incite the protesters.”

Maulana Fazl announces 'Azadi March' towards Islamabad on Oct 27

Demanding fresh elections in the country, the JUI-F chief ratcheted up pressure on the government saying the entire country will turn into a ‘battlefield’.

Elaborating further on the long march, Fazl said the party’s strategy would keep changing to cope with any situation. “A flood of people will participate in the long march,” he added.

The JUI-F chief said he is optimistic about other opposition parties joining his long march. “Hopefully, all of us [opposition parties] will be on the same page as it was a unanimously agreed last year that the general election was rigged.

Fazl hit out at the government’s policies, pointing out that people were becoming jobless, economic growth had come to a halt and diplomatic efforts had failed.

The JUI-F chief also accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of working on the agenda of a foreign lobby.

Maulana Fazl castigates govt over Atif Mian nomination fiasco

He added that the premier’s recent step of distributing prizes among meritorious madrassah students in the federal capital was aimed at gaining the sympathies of the religious circles of the country.

“However, he will not succeed in doing so.”

Fazl maintained that PM Imran’s speech at the UN General Assembly had actually given an advantage to India on the issue of Kashmir. “His [prime minister] stance on the use of nuclear weapons has created doubts in the minds of the international community and created more problems for us.”