HYDERABAD: Activists and supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Sunday took to the streets of many cities and towns of Sindh and vowed to defend democracy in the country and urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif not to give in to the agitators besieging Islamabad.

Speaking to the protesters, Mr Siddiqui alleged that PTI and PAT leaders were pursuing the agenda of external forces. He said their objective was to derail democracy.They criticised the singing and dancing activists of PTI for besieging the capital in the name of ‘Azadi march’ only to destabilise the country and derail democracy.

The demonstrations were held as part of the ‘Istehkam-i-Pakistan rallies’ for which a call was given by the ruling PML-N.

In Hyderabad, PML-N district president Hanif Siddiqui led a rally. The participants converged on the local press club and strongly condemned the sit-ins being staged in Islamabad by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

He said the conspiracy of the external forces would be foiled and no unconstitutional means to unseat the democratically elected prime minister would be accepted. He said all parliamentary parties barring the PTI reposed confidence in the prime minister in its latest session.

Raising slogans against the PTI and PAT, the protesters warned that the prolonged sit-ins were destroying the country’s economy.

STP urges Nawaz not to resign

A meeting of the central committee of Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) has resolved that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should not resign under pressure of establishment because if he tenders his resignation, it would be tantamount to defeat of democratic forces.

STP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi presided over the meeting held on Sunday, attended by Jam Fatah Samejo, Altaf Jiskani, Hyder Mallah, Dr Soomar Mangrio, Dr Ahmed Noonari, Dr Rajab Memon, Dr Hameed Memon and others.

Dr Magsi said the country was faced with a crisis in which a conflict was being witnessed between the democratic forces and country’s establishment.

He said anti-democratic forces, which were hatching conspiracy against the democracy, wanted that politics and power should remain under control.

He said the forces which wanted their control over the system were behind those who were staging sit-ins in Islamabad. He said the STP stood with democratic forces as it believed that democratic process must continue.

He said there were states in the world where conflicts between the oppressor and the oppressed and economy were witnessed. And there were also states which were created under some contract, he added. Therefore, he said, in latter’s case, it was necessary for them that they should adhere to provisions of their contracts, otherwise they would not be able to attain status of a modern state.

He said it was time that Nawaz Sharif should follow Hasina Wajid of Bangladesh and Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and ensure that General Musharraf was convicted.

He said sit-ins of Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan were based on denial of rights of the oppressed nations and their historic motherlands.

He said Sindh was totally irrelevant and was not seen anywhere under the present situation. He said there was a dire need that nationalist politics should be strengthened.

SUKKUR: PML-N activists and supporters took out a rally in this city on Sunday to express solidarity with the prime minister and urged him not to bow down to the ‘unconstitutional’ demands and sit-ins.

Led by the local PML-N leaders, Haji Islam Mughal, Imam Din Khoso, Shahzad Aasi, Dilawar Khan, Azam Khan, Farah Deeba Baloch and others, the participants marched through Shikarpur Road and assembled outside the local press club.

Speaking to the protesters, the leaders said that the entire nation wanted continuation of the democratic process and a huge majority backed the prime minister.

They said a few thousand people belonging to a disgruntled party could not be allowed to undo the mandate given to the PML-N by millions of its voters.

They said the masses had rejected the ‘unconstitutional’ demands of PTI and PAT.

The also condemned the uncharitable language being used by PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT leader Tahirul Qadri against parliamentarians and other politicians during the speeches at the sit-ins.

The vowed to render any sacrifice for safeguarding the democratic process and supremacy of the constitution, and warned that their tolerance should not be construde as weakness.

MIRPURKHAS: A similar rally was taken out from Mirpurkhas railway station by PML-N activists and supporters on Sunday.

The rally was led by Haji Mohammad Saleem Abbasi, Asif Mairaj, Zahid Kaimkhani and Badrun Nisa.

The participants, carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against PTI and its ‘unconstitutional’ demands, marched through various roads before assembling outside the local press club.

The leaders renewed their support to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and vowed to foil all unconstitutional attempts and undemocratic moves to unseat him.

They said the ‘Azadi march’ and ‘Inquilab march’ were aimed at weakening the country and damaging its economy.

DADU: Local chapter of the PML-N led by Abdul Aziz Rajput organised a rally in Dadu town to express solidarity with the prime minister.

The participants held a demonstration outside the local press club and slammed PTI chief Imran Khan for ‘crossing limits’ in his onslaught against respectable parliamentarians trying to dissuade him from adopting the unconstitutional path for bringing about a change.

Mr Rajput said no unlawful act to remove the elected prime minister would be tolerated.

PTI sit-ins

PTI activists and supporters continued their sit-ins to block highways and thoroughfares in different cities and towns of the province in response to a call given by their party leader, Imran Khan.

The sit-ins were held in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Sukkur, Jacobabad and other urban centres.

The participants kept raising slogans against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during the course of their protest. They vowed to continue the protest until Mr Sharif stepped down.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2014