KARACHI: Amid curbs in other three provinces, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) is set to launch its ‘Azadi March’ on Sunday (tomorrow) from Karachi, where the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government appears friendlier since it “offers” the opposition party and its chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman all “possible assistance” throughout its journey in the province, it emerged on Friday.

Senior JUI-F leaders have been busy finalising arrangements, which largely include hiring of buses and other vehicles. A senior party member said that the number of buses had already crossed 400.

The campaign would kick off with a rally on the Superhighway (M9), which the JUI-F chief would address to show solidarity with the people of India-held Kashmir.

“Our Azadi March will begin from Karachi and it will be led by Maulana Sahib himself,” senior JUI-F leader and key organiser of the march Qari Mohammad Usman said. “There will be a rally on Superhighway in the first half of the day to show solidarity with the people of held Kashmir. It will be addressed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman and then the caravan will hit the road for its final destination [Islamabad].”

“We are making all-out arrangements on our own through our own resources and we don’t need support in that particular area. The PPP and the provincial government, however, are supporting our cause and facilitating [us] in all administrative issues,” he said.

Unlike three other provincial governments, PPP-led Sindh govt has been facilitating the right-wing party in its march

He said the arrangements in Karachi had almost been finalised and “hundreds of vehicles carrying thousands of people” were likely to be part of the ‘Azadi March’. As the caravan would move forward, the people from other parts of the province would join it, he added.

When asked about any coordination with the Sindh government as PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had promised the JUI-F to extend all support, he said that the two sides were in contact with each other and the JUI-F enjoyed all “required support” from the PPP and the provincial authorities.

The JUI-F’s decision to launch its campaign from the capital of Sindh comes as no surprise since the remaining three “pro-Centre” provincial governments have announced measures that do not sound promising for the right-wing opposition party.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove had only a couple of days ago said that the provincial government would not allow the JUI-F to hold its ‘Azadi March’ in the province and would take all possible measures to maintain its writ.

Similarly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had warned the JUI-F of taking action against its “baton-wielding” workers parading in uniform days after Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had categorically stated that his government would never allow engaging seminary students in “undemocratic” activities.

In Punjab, the situation doesn’t look so different where the provincial government has recently empowered deputy commissioners (DCs) under Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to counter ‘Azadi March’ on the pretext of maintaining law and order in the province. Earlier, these powers under the above section of the CrPC rested with the provincial government and only it could take action or lodge a complaint against anyone.

In Islamabad, the local administration has been placing containers and barricades ahead of the march.

At present, Sindh emerges as the only province where the JUI-F finds a favourable atmosphere and best chances to launch its journey towards Islamabad.

“We have coordinated with their [JUI-F] leadership here and in other parts of the province on the clear directives of chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari,” said Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani. “The local administration here in Karachi and other Sindh areas has been cooperating with the JUI-F leaders. We definitely support their cause and wish them good luck. Being the government in the province, we are also making sure that the activity wouldn’t affect routine life and for that the two sides are cooperating with each other. We expect them to meet all due formalities so that we can make arrangements”

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2019