PESHAWAR: The major opposition parties are set to hold a joint public meeting in Peshawar on Thursday (today) to observe July 25 as ‘black day’ and register their protest against what they called rigging of 2018 general elections and flawed policies of the government.

The public meeting will be held at Motorway Chowk on Ring Road at 11am. JUI-F will also hold a ‘million march’ at 3pm the same day that will be addressed by the leaders of opposition parties.

The leaders of opposition parties term the public meeting the beginning of a nation-wide protest movement to pave way for toppling of the government.

“The entire protest events are organised by coordination committees of the opposition parties wherein members of Rahbar Committee and senior leaders of opposition will participate to address people,” ANP general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain told Dawn.

Term today’s black day beginning of a nationwide movement against govt

He said that a plan having several phases was devised to mobilise people against the faulty policies of the government and get rid of the ‘inefficient’ rulers at the earliest. “The seriousness of the opposition parties against the government can be judged from the no-confidence move against chairman of Senate and July 25 black day public meetings,” he added.

Mr Hussain said that ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan, National Party leader Mir Hasil Bizenjo, QWP chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N general secretary Ahsan Iqbal, PPP general secretary Nayyar Hussain Bukhari would address the public meeting in Peshawar.

He said after the black-day events, the Rahbar Committee would review the situation to announce schedule for holding joint public meetings at different provincial headquarters on different dates as second phase of the anti-government movement.

In the third phase, he said, the opposition would seek support of different segments of the society including traders, students and lawyers to mobilise maximum of the people. However, the third phase would be preparation for march on Islamabad where a record big sit-in would be observed to ‘fix last nail in coffin of the government’.

“We have not given any framework for the conclusion of the protest movement mainly due to the harsh weather conditions,” said Mr Hussain.

About possible arrest of the opposition leaders, he said that they had planned alternate leadership. The government could not frighten them through arrests and threats as they were fully determined to get rid of the rulers at all costs, he added.

“We will hold rally outside NAB office to record protest against the arrest of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and victimisation of the opposition,” he said.

Meanwhile, JUI-F provincial spokesman Maulana Abdul Jalil Jan said that his party’s ‘Namoos-i-Risalat Million March’ would be a record show of power in Peshawar. He said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other opposition leaders would address the event. He said that 2,000 volunteers of the party would perform security duty on the occasion.

PML-N provincial spokesman Ikhtiar Wali, PPP provincial president Huamayun Khan and QWP spokesman Tariq Ahmed Khan also said that workers of their parties would participate in the black day public meeting in a large number.

SSP Zahoor Babar Afridi said that arrangements were finalised to provide foolproof security to the participants of the two events. In addition to the security personnel, he said 250 traffic cops would also be deployed to regulate traffic in the busy areas.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2019