Govt seeks meeting with Fazl

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–Rehbar Committee head Akram Durrani claims govt violated agreement by censoring Azadi March coverage

As the Azadi March led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of his eponymous Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, steps up pressure on the government demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, a government committee, headed by Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, has decided to approach Fazl with a request to backtrack from his demands for Imran Khan’s resignation and snap polls.

However, the sources within the Rehbar Committee said the government delegation has yet to approach the opposition and that any decision regarding talks with the government would be taken once it is approached by the committee.

On the other hand, JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani accused the government of violating the agreement it had reached with the opposition’s Rehbar Committee by allegedly staging a media blackout of the Azadi March.

Meanwhile, the prime minister has summoned a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) core committee after the JUI-F announced to extend their stay in the federal capital for an indefinite period. Besides the JUI-F march, the meet will discuss the Kartarpur Corridor and the Kashmir issue.

Separately, the government chief spokesperson Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the Pakistan Army would be on standby and could be called in if “needed”.

She added that there would be three-tiered security, police would be at the forefront, followed by the Rangers personnel and then there would be the army to ‘quell any unrest’.