Sporadic protests erupted in major cities of the country as part of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) ‘Plan-B’. The protestors on Thursday blocked major arteries and highways including Hakimabad GT Road in Nowshera and Hub Road on the outskirts of Karachi. The protest that began around 2pm forced locals to abandon their vehicles and walk home. Vehicles travelling between Sindh and Balochistan were diverted to Manghopir Road.
The JUI-F workers blocked the highway connecting Karachi with Quetta in Khuzdar. The party workers erected blockades at the Zero Point before holding a protest sit-in. A large number of vehicles have lined up on both sides of the sit-in.
The JUI-F workers closed Indus Highway in Bannu. In Malakand, where workers from different parts of the Malakand division gathered at Chakdara Chowk, JUI-F blocked the Chakdara Road, which which caused a huge traffic jam.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Maulana Fazlur Rehman warned the government that his party will go even further than blocking highways across the country. “The prime minister’s resignation is our primary demand,” he said, adding that the anti-government movement has embarked on its second phase. He hoped that the government will soon go home.
The JUI-F chief said his party did not create a situation where the everyday life of people got affected. “We wouldn’t have been forced to block highways across the country if the government had decided to go home during our dharna,” he said.
Fazl said he hoped at the end of this year, his party will succeed in securing its primary objective. He said the conditions that the government has imposed on Nawaz Sharif are disappointing. He said that the Rahbar Committee is operational and talks are going on between the opposition parties. The government on Thursday also deployed police and paramilitary force in Rawalpindi. Wearing protective head gear and equipped with safety shields and tear gas, the police and FC personnel were seen manning Chungi Number 26 – a key entry point into Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi met Maulana Fazlur Rehman to resolve the matters of his protest peacefully.
Talking to media after the meeting, Ch Shujaat advised the government to let Nawaz Sharif go abroad for medical treatment, adding that life is in the hands of Allah Almighty. He said Imran Khan should refrain from taking such measures which may put him in a difficult position. Discussing the Azadi March, the PML-Q leader expressed that the JUI-F chief is a democratic person. “We want a system that meets the expectations of the people,” he added. On the occasion, Elahi asserted that this was the only sit-in which was conducted with a lot of discipline. He said all the parties are standing behind Maulana and he is the only leader of the opposition now, adding that an immense sit-in was held under his leadership. Separately, the Pakistan People’s Party distanced itself from Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s ‘Plan-B’, stating that the party will not participate in blocking roads and highways. “From day one, our policy is clear. We will not become a party in dharna politics. We supported the Azadi March, but can’t come on the roads at this moment,” a senior PPP leader said, adding that the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has convened a party meeting to further discuss the issue. PPP Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said no one from his party will join the sit-ins on main roads and highways. “We only extend our support to a peaceful struggle. The blockage of roads is not on our agenda,” he added.
