ISLAMABAD: The central leadership of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) on Wednesday decided to bring their series of ‘million marches’ to Punjab with the motto to protect the ideological status of the country and oppose any move to make Pakistan a secular state.

Talking to the media after a meeting of the central Majlis-i-Amla of the party, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said a ‘million march’ will be held in Sargodha on March 31.

“The message of this million march is clear and will be heard by those in power and their mentors outside the country,” Mr Rehman said.

He said a move is underway for making Pakistan a secular country and that this “foreign agenda” will be resisted. A million march will be held in North Waziristan on March 25, he said.

He criticized the PTI government for allowing protests and activities on International Women’s Day and alleged that such protests are part of the moves to make Pakistan a secular country.

He slammed the observing of International Women’s Day in the country and said his party workers will contain such activities in the future if they are not contained by the government.

“All these un-Islamic activities on Women’s Day have to be stopped and if the authorities fail to stop them, we will,” Mr Rehman said.

JUI-F had initiated the series of million marches after the general elections of July 2018, starting with the demand that the Aasia Bibi, who was accused of blasphemy, should be hanged, against changes in blasphemy laws and upholding the respect for the last prophethood.

After Aasia Bibi was acquitted by the Supreme Court the goals and aim of the million marches was changed.

The main demand of million marches held in several cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were against the price hike and the JUI-F had claimed that mismanagement by the PTI-led government was triggering economic woes for the public.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2019