SWABI: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said here on Thursday that ‘Mardan million march’ planned to be held on February 17 would reflect the party’s real strength.

Talking to mediapersons and addressing Ulema at Shahmansoor Madressah, he said that they gave great importance to the Mardan march because it would be the first major show of power by the party in the post-election period.

“We can predict the thousands of people from different walks of life would participate in the march,” he said and appealed to the people to participate in it and play their role in spreading the teachings of Islam.

Preparations for the march are afoot, he said, adding that all the religious parties and other like-minded leaders and workers would attend it.

Mr Rehman said that in fact it would be a show of strength against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, which made only hue and cry about change but had failed to deliver.

He said that the government had done nothing except making people’s life miserable by increasing the prices of essential commodities and taking U-turns on various issues.

He said that it was difficult for the common man to buy food commodities because of inflation.

The JUI-F chief, in a meeting, thanked Maulana Azazul Haq for postponing Shahmansoor congregation, which would now be held on Feb 23-24 after the Mardan march.

He also said that the economic position of the country had been weakened under the PTI government and there was no ray of hope.

He claimed that the country’s stock markets had been seeing bearish trend, which was the result of wrong policies of the government.

Party’s central deputy chief Maunala Fazal Ali and other leaders also participated in the gathering.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2019