Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday threatened to march on Islamabad if the government does not step down by August.

Speaking at a 'million march' rally organised by the party in Quetta, the JUI-F chief said that "failure to do so would result in the entire country marching down on Islamabad in October".

"We want to clarify that the drums of war have already been beaten as a message to such forces, such international agents, the representatives of global powers, and the false leaders who have forced their way into power."

"I want to highlight that the Quetta million march is our last million march and now our next step will be taken in Islamabad," he said.

The JUI-F chief, directly addressing the government, said that in the first phase of their plan, a chance was being given to the government "to resign by August upon which they will save themselves from the Islamabad march".

"If you do not resign by August, you will find us in Islamabad by October," he vowed.

He claimed that the entire country would march in October. "This will be an independence march. The way we freed ourselves from the British, we will free ourselves from this government."

The JUI-F chief emphasised that since the joint stance by the opposition is that the elections were rigged and are not accepted by them, new elections must take place. He said that the same had been discussed in the recently held All Parties Conference.

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Speaking about the rising prices of commodities, he said that a salaried man who earns Rs30,000-40,000 has been rendered incapable of buying the monthly groceries. He recalled that after the government's first budget was announced, traders far and wide had held strikes and recorded their protests.

"The trader community is the face of the economy. When they recorded such a protest then what else is left to see," he said, adding that "we cannot leave the economy in your hands when you are as incapable and unqualified as you are".

He appealed the government to "not let Pakistan turn into Afghanistan".

He said that the party wishes to see the country prosper "but if you are adamant on forcibly remaining in power despite being [illegally elected], then come, we can fight it out. Then we will see what your future is and what ours will be."

Targeting the prime minister, he said: "You have made people's lives miserable and you call it a documented economy. This documented economy is a Western agenda and the international financial organisations in its name seek to gain access to the pockets of every person and trader in the far reaches of the country."