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Azadi March: All opp. parties agree to continue the sit-in

ISLAMABAD: Following the meeting (4th in two days) between Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervai­z Elahi and JUI-F Chief Maulan­a Fazl-ur-Rehman, it transpired that all opposition parties were determined to continue the Azadi-March-Dharna (sit-in). 

According to details chief of Rahbar Committee (negotiating Team of the Opposition)  Akram Durrani (belonging to JUI-F) held a Presser here today after a Committee session in which ‘Plan B’ was pondered upon. He informed that the Committee was mulling over 3 recommendations and that ‘The Azadi March will take a new direction after two days.’

Durrani said that all the political parties had unanimously decided to increase pressure on the government: “The workers are determined, even willing to stay up to three months.”

A relevant piece published earlier: 

Azadi March 7th day: Ch Pervez Elahi to hold talks with Fazl-ur-Rehman

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has been given authority by the PTI government’s negotiating committee to directly contact Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman in order to figure a way out of the present impasse.  

It is pertinent to mention here that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who had met Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman three times in the last 24 hours will be meeting him again shortly attempting to end the deadlock according to the instructions of PM Imran Khan who had reportedly instructed him to strike a deal on the basis of giving and taking.  

Azadi March will transform into Seerat-e-Tayyaba Conference on 10th Nov

ISLAMABAD: President JUI-F Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman while speaking to the participants here today announced that on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal (Sunday 10th of November, 2019) Azadi March Dharna will transform into Seerat-e-Tayyaba Conference. 

Fazl held that the country could not afford to give more time to the PTI Government. Maintaining that the people were not getting justice in Pakistan he stated: “There is no justice in the country. NAB is helpless when it comes to holding the government responsible in Pakistan.

“If these unqualified people present the next budget, then God forbid, the country will collapse. Why did you promise people more jobs when you couldn’t deliver them? You misled the the youth.

“Today, there was talk of finishing more then four hundred institutions…Thousands of livelihoods are associated with these institution,” he added.”

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman pointing towards the date of the opening of Kartarpur Corridor lashed out at the goverment as 9th of November also happens to be the birthday of Allama Iqbal. 

ISLAMABAD: President Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, who orchestrated the long march termed as Azadi March, while talking to the Marchers here today warned that drama in the name of accountability in this country would not be tolerated. 

Azadi March 6Accusing PTI-government of upsetting Sino-Pak terms he held: “We used to be proud of our friendship with China…We used to tell people that our friendship with China was higher than the Himalayas and sweeter than honey…Now, even China is not willing to invest in Pakistan due to our leaders’ follies.”

According to Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman due to PTI-Government’s wrong policies country’s economic condition was such that factories were closing. He noted that for the first time in Pakistan’s history three budgets were presented in a single year: “Even then this government couldn’t take advantage of the taxes.”

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman maintained that not only Pak-Afghan relationship had hit a new low,  Iran too was giving more respect to India as compared to Pakistan. He pointed out that Baloch did not have control over their own resources though there were gold, silver and priceless minerals in the mountains of Balochistan.

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman held that PTI-Government increased prices of essential commodities including petrol: “Every single day that this government gets, the more we will go down,” he noted. He questioned why there was no objection against PTI Dharna back in 2014 and why Azadi March was being objected by few.

Azadi March: Govt team meets Rehbar Committee, impasse continues

ISLAMABAD: The Government Negotiating Team met the Opposition’s Rehbar Committee here at JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani’s residence today.

Following the second such huddle the two leaders talked to the Media and told that the negotiations would continue till a solution acceptable to both parties was figured out. 

Government Negotiation Team Head, Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, vaguely responded to a question saying that few points from both sides were liked and others disliked. Still maintaining that both the sides stuck to their respective positions, he said the government agreed to several of the opposition’s demands and that talks will continue on the rest of them after consultations with the two sides’ leadership.

Sources have revealed that Opposition’s demands also included minimizing armed forces’ role in general elections.

rehbar committeeAzadi March: PM Imran Khan gives go ahead to accept Fazl’s demands except his resignation

ISLAMABAD: According to sources following his meeting with his negotiating team headed by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, Prime Minister Imran Khan has given a go ahead to accept all demands of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman accordance with the Constitution, except his resignation.

According to details PM lauded the efforts of PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Chaudhry Shuja’at Hussain for meeting JUI-F President Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman last night in order to figure out a way out of the impasse.

Azadi March: Firdous Ashiq Awan says govt committed to resolve all issues with JUI-F via talks

ISLAMABAD: Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting, while talking to Media here today said that government was committed to resolve all the issues with the JUI (F) via talks. 

Maintaining that Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman was a senior politician she expressed the hope that he would not tread the path which could oust him from the political arena. Firdous said he should be careful in his choice of words for the democratically elected PM and refrain from hurting the sentiments of PTI workers. She said the Maulana should not hurt national interest and Kashmir cause through his narrative.

Commenting on judicial reforms, Firdous Awan said the government had initiated the process   by bringing amendments in the outdated legislation. She held that PTI-government had brought eight ordinances pertaining to the basic human rights of the people which would be introduced in the parliament to be changed into effective legislation, for which she also sought the cooperation of the opposition parties.

According to Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting PTI government will take the requisite steps to turn into reality the vision of providing speedy and inexpensive justice to the masses. Awan informed that she had briefed the PM about the shabby state of the district courts here. She said district courts would be shifted into a judicial complex that would be established soon. 

Azadi March: Fazl says all Opposition Parties are standing with JUI-F

ISLAMABAD: Following Multi-Parties Conference (MPC – sans Bilawal and Shehbaz), while addressing the participants of Azadi March, President JUI-F Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has stated that all the Opposition Parties were with the movement. 

According to him all Opposition Parties today gave the assurance that they would not leave the JUI-F alone in the anti-government movement. He said that Imran Khan was earlier selected but now he had been rejected: “”Imran Khan was first selected, now he is rejected,reiterating the demand for the prime minister to relinquish power.”

He noted that due to weak policies of the incumbent government Pakistan itself was alone, cut off from the whole world. He held as long as this non-competent government remained in power no progress could be made.  Fazl-ur-Rehman maintained that as long as non-elected people occupied the corridors of power, people and institution would remain suffering from chaos.

Maintaining “We are close to achieving our objectives,” Fazl said that the sit-in will continue until the demands were met or the All Parties’ Conference (APC) comes to a conclusion on it. On the meeting, Fazl said that the doubts about the opposition being divided have been laid to rest: “Today, the opposition parties have decided that we will plan the future strategy for the Azadi March, not you. We want to pull Pakistan out of isolation,” said the JUI-F leader.

JUI-F’s Akram Durrani said that another meeting will be held tomorrow at his residence, around 3PM.

Azadi March 4After the meeting between government and opposition parties Pervez Khattak (heading government committee) said that first round of talks seemed successful: “We hope that it will bear good results”, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that while JUI-F has asked its 15 members of assemblies to tender resignations, PPP and PML-N have disagreed to resign from assemblies.

Azadi March: Govt says ready to meet democratic demands

ISLAMABAD: PM’s Special Assistant on Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan has stated at a Presser held here on Sunday (3rd of November) that the government was ready to accept democratic demands of Azadi Marchers.

Speaking at a late night Press conference along with Minister of Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, she welcomed JUI-F’s decision not to walk to D-Chowk. Special Aide Awan held that in political process talks are always welcomed and government’s doors were open for dialogue with the opposition to resolve all issues through political means.

Advisor informed that the Prime Minister has constituted a fully powerful committee led by Deference Minister Pervez Khattak for holding talks with the JUI-F chief and other opposition parties.

Awan urged the opposition leaders to come up with positive and viable recommendations with regard to electoral and economic reforms if they have. She said that the government’s desire for negotiations should not be taken as weakness and Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman cannot be allowed to hold the majority hostage.

Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri condemned the accusation against the PM of patronizing the Ahmadis (Qadiyanis) stated the incumbent government could not think of recognizing Israel and reversing the law declaring Qadiyanis as non-Muslims: “We are ready to meet genuine demands of Maulana sahib but not the illogical ones,” the Minister maintained.

PTI’s Parliamentary committee is meeting today with PM Imran Khan in the chair in order to figure out what concessions could be offered to the Azadi Marchers.

Surprisingly, while Ashiq Awan is attempting to assuage the tense milieu, PM Imran Khan is busy with harsh rhetoric. He took to the Twitter to taunt: “The opposition only wants to hear three letters from me NRO. PM went on to tweet that he would never utter those three letter as that would amount to treachery to the country.

It is apparent that the old tricks of divide & rule and carrot & stick are being used. Special Assistant on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan lauded the decision of the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for steering clear through the Dharna (Sit-in) politics: “Despite political differences, both parties set a benchmark by rejecting the narrative of Maulana.”

It is pertinent to mention here that Islamabad authorities had got the Red Zone here sealed by means of barricades and shipping freight containers that harbors Supreme Court and a number of state buildings. Personnel of Rangers and FC along with police have been deployed. Presently some ten thousand policemen are deployed here who have been provided APCs, prison vans and water cannons.

News Pakistan

 

 

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.