Thousands of anti-government demonstrators reached the federal capital on Thursday to demand that the federal government step down, piling pressure on Prime Minister Imran Khan as he strives to get the faltering economy on track.
Opposition leaders will address a planned rally in connection with the ‘Azadi March’ after Friday prayers today, a spokesperson for JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and party leader Akram Khan Durrani said. He said the decision to hold the opposition rally after Friday prayers was taken after consultation with the Rehbar Committee in the wake of Tezgam tragedy in which around 74 people lost their lives.
After reaching the capital, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman said there will be ‘chaos’ in the country if the PTI-led government refuses to resign in the aftermath of his Azadi March. He vowed not to surrender in his anti-government movement. “We have to finally get the resignation from them (the government). And we will fight for it,” he said.
Hinting at a sit-in, he said his party wants to give the government a time period of 2-3 days while sitting in Islamabad. “It is for the people to decide what our next strategy should be,” he said, adding that the chance of his party giving time to the PTI-led government has ‘ended’.
Earlier in the day, conflicting statements from opposition politicians about the Islamabad rally created confusion about its timing as the PML-N said that the event had been deferred until Friday due to the train tragedy in Rahim Yar Khan, while ANP insisted on ‘recording their protest’ on Thursday.
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that due to the train tragedy the demonstration will be held on November 1 after Friday prayers. He called on PML-N workers to stay in Islamabad till Friday and fully participate in the rally. His party colleague Marriyum Aurangzeb also confirmed the deferment.
The announcement didn’t go down well with the Awami National Party of Asfandyar Wali. The party rejected the PML-N announcement as a ‘conspiracy’ and ‘propaganda’. “The protest would be staged today (Thursday) as per schedule with or without PML-N,” ANP spokesperson Zahid Khan said. “Asfandyar Wali Khan will address the rally in Islamabad, come what may,” he added.
The PPP also decided to join the rally according to the plan. In a video statement, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will briefly address the Islamabad gathering on Thursday.
Perturbed by the brewing controversy, the JUI-F denied the PML-N announcement, but the party itself appeared to be confused about their plan. Maulana Fazlur Rehman was quick to announce that it was JUI-F’s event and it would decide to go ahead with the rally or defer it till Friday. He went on to add that the JUI-F is going ahead according to the plan. However, later ‘Azadi March’ participants were told that the JUI-F had never intended to hold the rally on October 31 and that the plan supposedly was to reach Islamabad on Thursday and hold the rally after Friday prayers.
Meanwhile, schools were shuttered and entry points to Islamabad sealed off on Thursday as thousands of marchers converged on the federal capital. Police and paramilitary troops used shipping containers to block several major traffic arteries between Islamabad and Rawalpindi ahead of the march, causing traffic jams and frustrating commuters. “The main entry points were closed to ensure the safety of the citizens and government offices,” Islamabad police spokesperson Zia Bajwa said, adding that a 17,000-strong force is overseeing security in the capital.
