MULTAN: JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman said on Saturday neither the government contacted them to stop their planned Azadi march nor his party would call it off.

He told reporters the Azadi march would be held in Islamabad and a meeting of JUI Majlis-i-Shoora on Sept 18 would decide the day of march.

“All political parties have a general consensus that the general elections were rigged,” he said.

“A comprehensive strategy regarding the march will be devised in the Shora meeting. I wish ll political parties are present at the stage. So far, the JUI had held 15 marches in which millions of people were present; the Azadi march of Islamabad is their continuity. I am not only in touch with all the political parties but also have their support.

“I am in touch with both the PPP and the PML-N and we all are on the same page. If obstacles are created in our way, we will break these obstacles. If we are stopped then we will halt entire country,” he said.

He said the conspiracy was being hitched to divide the Sindh by using Article 149 of the Constitution which was not acceptable to the people of Sindh. He said the Kashmir committee is not a political stakeholder in the Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Maulana should reconsider his decision of the march. Talking to the media, he said that the Maulana remained the Kashmir committee chairman for years and he should play his role on the Kashmir issue.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2019