CHARSADDA/BUNER: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl provincial emir Maulana Attaur Rehman held a meeting with Awami National Party’s provincial president Aimal Wali Khan at Walibagh on Monday to discuss the Azadi March to Islamabad.

The JUI-F leader thanked the ANP leadership for supporting the march and said that all the opposition parties were on the same page to oust the PTI government.

On the occasion, Aimal Wali said his party workers would start the march to Islamabad on Oct 31 under the leadership of Asfandyar Wali Khan. He said the ANP would abide by the decision of Rehbar Committee in that regard.

The two leaders reiterated that the march would continue till ‘restoration of the sanctity of vote and democracy in the country’.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties’ District Rahbar Committee (DRC) at a meeting in Daggar area of Buner on Monday announced that they would use Khadukhel route for marching to Islamabad on Oct 31.

The committee warned of staging a sit-in at Ambela Chowk if the district administration tried to block the way of protest rallies.

The meeting was chaired by DRC president Mohammad Karim Babak of ANP. DRC general secretary Saeedur Rehman Mufakir of JUI-F, Kamran Khan of PML-N, Abdul Aziz of QWP, Rafiqullah Khan of PPP and Mehboob Ali of PkMAP were also present.

The DRC president and general secretary told mediapersons after the meeting that traders, transporters and general public would also join the march.

The committee condemned arrest and harassment of JUI-F leaders, saying the administration was pressurising transporters and filling station owners not to facilitate the marchers.

They asked the activists of various parties to be ready for moving towards Islamabad as per the schedule.

They expressed anguish over preparation of a list of leaders to be arrested ahead of the march, which they said was violation of their constitutional right, giving them freedom of procession and expression.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2019