Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has extended his two-day deadline for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation by 24 hours and called an all parties conference (APC) to devise a future course of action in connection with the Azadi March.
The decision, announced by the firebrand cleric at his party’s sit-in in the capital on Sunday night, was taken at a party meeting at his residence earlier in the day.
“We have called leaders of all political parties tomorrow and will reach a consensus decision regarding the future course of action,” he told his followers. He added he had ‘plan A, B and C’.
“This is the biggest rally in Islamabad’s history … and I believe chances of witnessing such a massive rally again are thin,” he remarked.
The JUI-F chief said opposition parties bagged more votes than the treasury benches collectively despite massive rigging in the last year’s elections. “We are told to go to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is more helpless than us … and parliamentary committee, formed over poll rigging, failed to hold a single meeting in the past year.”
He said when the ECP couldn’t even decide the five-year-old case of PTI’s foreign funding then how it can take up the matter of rigging.
Lashing out at the government, he said those who accuse others of corruption are themselves the most corrupt.
Maulana Fazl extends deadline for PM Imran’s resignation by a day
“This government has to go … and they don’t have any other option but to give the masses right to elect their true representatives.
“We’ll shut the whole country… this caravan won’t stop until achieving its target.”
Commenting on the military’s alleged backing of the Imran Khan government, he said, “Our army, which is respectable to us, will have to decide once and for all that it has nothing to do with elections”.
Maulana Fazl said every institution has to remain within its constitutional ambit. “It’s not just me but the Supreme Court chief justice is also saying the same,” he added.
He said that democratic institutions are made redundant and masses rather than relying on their votes look somewhere else for government. “We’ll have to give respect to vote,” he added.
The JUI-F chief asked his workers to trust their leadership rather than social media and those mending the public opinion.
Commenting on ‘foreign conspiracies’, Maulana Fazl said he stood in the way of those who created chaos in the Middle East wanted to do the same in Pakistan and foiled their nefarious designs against the country.
He also said the international media across the globe has acknowledged the huge participation and exemplary discipline at the Azadi March.
“Listen Imran, this sea of people will keep coming at you and wash you away with it,” he roared amid thundering applause and sloganeering in his favour.
“You’re [PM Imran] nothing more than a street goon … unfortunately people like you are imposed on us as rulers.”
He saluted his followers with teary eyes and said he knew they were ready to stay here even for years if he would ask them to. “I salute your passion.”
The seasoned politician said the final decision with regards to future course of action will be taken with consultations of all opposition parties, “but one thing I can promise you that we will go forward and not backward”.
He also spoke in Pashtu language to the charged crowd.
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