PML-N, PMAP, JUI-F stage pro-democracy rallies in city

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) and The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Sunday took out rallies in the city separately to express solidarity with the current democratic system and vowed to resist any undemocratic move to end democracy in the country.

The two rallies reached Karachi Press Club simultaneously, where their leaders addressed activists and supporters. The supporters of both the parties chanted slogans in favour of democracy and their party leaderships.

Addressing the PML-N rally, Sindh President Ismail Rahu said his party would not allow a small section of society to reject a huge mandate given by people to PML-N. Nawaz Sharif is elected after taking millions of votes and PML-N would not allow people staging sit-in in Islamabad to derail the system, he said.

Rahu said the PML-N would resist demand seeking resignation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and in case of any undemocratic move to remove him, the PML-N would stage country-wide protests.

PML-N Sindh General Secretary Nehal Hashmi said that rallies being taken out by the PML-N and other parties in the country in support of democracy had proved that political parties had joined hands against any undemocratic move. Support of democracy from different segments of society had indicated a positive atmosphere for prosperity of democracy in the country, he said.

The PML-N rally was also addressed by Sindh Assembly MPAs Humayun Khan and Sorath Thebo.

Addressing the PMAP rally, Balochistan Minister for Public Health Engineering Mohammad Ayaz Khan said the current democratic system was achieved after several sacrifices, so they would not allow protesters of Islamabad to derail it.

“We assure the nation that current elected assemblies will remain intact and complete their five year tenure,” he said, adding that PMAP had given sacrifices for the current system and fought against past dictatorships.

He said the revolution that Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri were eyeing to bring in the country was revolution of dictatorship and the forces helping them behind the curtains should know that PMAP would strongly resist any undemocratic move in the country.

PMAP leader and MNA Abdul Qahar Khan said it was due to democratic government that Revolution March and Independence March were permitted to stage protest in Islamabad. Had there been no democratic government, Imran and Qadri would not have taken out such rallies, he said.

Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) also held rallies and demonstrations in different parts of Sindh to record its protest over the sit-ins of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek(PAT) in Islamabad.

Following Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s claim of protesting against the sit-ins by the PTI and the PAT in Islamabad, the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e- Fazl (JUI-F) took to streets holding protests and rallies in Sukhur, Pano Akil and Jacobabad on Sunday.

The JUI-F party workers staged a protest in Sukkur, a city in the province of Sindh, on Qaumi Shahrah bypass. The protestors demanded from Imran Khan to apologise for disrespecting Maulana Fazlur Rehman. They claimed that both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri were working on foreign agenda and the JUI-F will not let that happen.

In Pano Akil which is a tehsil of Sukkur District, JUI-F worker’s protest procession marched from Sindh-Punjab Adda to the press club against the PAT and PTI sit-ins. The JUI-F workers threatened to take fierce action against Imran Khan if he failed to apologise to Fazlur Rehman.

Similar demonstrations were held in Jacobabad in support of democracy and rule of law in the country. The protestors raised slogans against the PAT and the PTI leadership. The JUI-F protest march, passing through several areas of Jacobabad city, culminated at a rally near DC Chowk.

Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed that the western civilization had waged a war on Islamabad, adding that people would march to Islamabad if ‘sit-in stubbornness’ continued.

Addressing a press conference, Fazlur Rehman said that all political forces were united and that the state was exhibiting patience for the past 10 days. He said the JUI-F stood for the constitution and democracy. The JUI-F chief said that no one could stop masses from marching to Islamabad to protest against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) if the ‘sit-in stubbornness’ was not stopped.

He said the gathering of a few people on roads was not a political demonstration, alleging that the demonstrations were being staged as part of ‘foreign agenda’.

Fazl claimed that the western civilization had waged a war on Islamabad. The JUI-F chief said he was told not to commit extremism but the protestors were themselves making extremist demands.