Fazl urges opposition to unite to ‘bring down govt’

Says Maryam and PML-N workers subjected violence outside NAB office in Lahore

ISLAMABAD:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday condemned the outbreak of violence between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and police outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Lahore and urged the opposition parties to unite to “bring down the government”.

Addressing a news conference in the federal capital, the JUI-F chief said that PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz had telephoned him and apprised him of the situation.

Expressing solidarity with Maryam, Fazl maintained that she and Nawaz-league workers had been subjected to violence.

Quoting the PML-N leader, he said that the vehicle in which Maryam was travelling had been pelted with stones by the police as a result of which the windscreen of the car was broken.

Commenting on the NAB, he maintained that the anti-graft watchdog was an institution, which had been established for the purpose of seeking revenge and not pursuing accountability.

“The government wants to push the opposition to the wall through this institution [NAB]. Therefore, we will have to adopt a strong stance and move forward,” he said.

“Until the time all the opposition parties are united, we will not be able to play an effective role against these tyrannical activities and to bring down this ‘illegitimate’ government,” he added.

Responding to a question about cars purportedly part of the PML-N caravan, laden with bags full of stones, Fazl noted that the vehicles had had intentionally been loaded with stones to counter the situation and added that he was aware of the powers who had been playing such tactics.

He observed that the NAB office had not been attacked and the footage of police pelting the stones had been recorded by Maryam.