LAHORE: “The [situation in] country is getting ripe for the million march as the people have realised that this (PTI) government is a product of rigged elections,” says Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman here on Monday.

After meeting with the chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) Pir Ijaz Hashmi at his residence, where he went to inquire after him, the Maulana claimed that Islamabad ‘lock down’ would take place even if he was arrested.

“In case of my arrest, I will lead the 15 million march from my [prison] cell,” a determined Fazlur Rehman said.

He said the people now accepted the JUI-F narrative that this government was “brought in” through rigged elections.

They also accepted that only fairly chosen representatives should run the government, he added.

“The JUI has been saying this from the day one: in the first all parties conference, called right after the polls, the party pleaded for boycotting the assemblies and protest against the illegal occupant of the august office,” he said.

To woo other parties to make the ‘march’ a success, Fazl said he was also in contineous contact with the PPP. “We are continuously in touch with the Pakistan Peoples’ Party and this would continue. If we share the overall narrative, one can have different priorities. But the overall agreement also leaves room for consensus and rearrangement of priorities,” he said.

Denying that he was under pressure from “powerful quarters” to refrain from the march, he said that he was also in continued consultation with the PML-N on the Islamabad ‘lock down’. He denied to have received any “message” from Sheikh Rashid – the federal minister for railways, who in a recent press conference claimed that he had warned the JUI-F leader against “stepping on a hot spot”.

“In addition to being illegal, the government has now also proved itself incompetent. All its policies have only added to peoples’ problems: be it economic or diplomatic.”

In this regard, Fazl referred to what he called “the UNHCR fiasco”, where, he said, the prime minister claimed support of 58 members in a house of 47. He said it was just one proof of prime minister’s “incompetence and lack of ability”.

“The PTI sold Kashmir and its failure to even table a motion in the UNHCR is the biggest proof of the same,” he alleged.

He reminded those accusing him of playing “religious card”, “If religion is being threatened, should we not fight for it? The march is not only for religion, but liberation of Kashmir from the Indian yoke and Pakistan from the PTI yoke.”

On the occasion, Pir Ijjaz Hashmi said that being an important part of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) was bound to participate in Islamabad ‘lock down’.

“This government has lost credibility and no longer deserves to be in power. We are with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and stay put through thick and thin,” the Pir pledged.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2019