QUETTA: Leading opposition parties in Balochistan on Wednesday announced their plan to stage rallies and organise protests across the province against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s government in accordance with what was described as ‘Plan C’ of the Azadi march.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had led a two-week protest against the government in Islamabad which began in Karachi on Oct 27 but was later called off. It was followed by a ‘Plan B’ that included blocking key roads and highways across the country but that too was called off by the opposition’s Rehbar Committee on Tuesday.

Addressing a news conference, senior leader of the JUI-F and MNA Maulana Abdul Wassay, Nasrullah Khan Zeeray from the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) provincial president Haji Ali Madad Jattak, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Balochistan’s Jamal Shah Kakar, National Party’s Abdul Khaliq Baloch and Awami National Party’s Mahabat Khan Kakar said, “Imagining himself as a monarch, Prime Minister Imran Khan has been threatening opposition leaders. But the bitter tone in his recent speech revealed his nervousness.”

“Intimidation tactics by the government cannot deter us from protesting against the ‘selected regime’,” they added.

JUI-F’s Wassay said that opposition parties had proved their strength in Islamabad’s Azadi march. “The federal government has been claiming that there are differences between opposition parties but as of now rifts have surfaced between the PTI and its coalition partners,” he added.

“The opposition parties are united on the singular demand of the resignation of the prime minister and parliament and Constitution’s supremacy,” said Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, former minister and PkMAP leader.

Ali Jattak from the PPP slammed the central government for arresting opposition leaders on fake corruption allegations. “The PTI government is standing on the pillars of rigging and it can’t move forward because the central government’s days are numbered,” he claimed.

Jamal Kakar from the PML-N criticised comments made by some of the federal ministers over Nawaz Sharif’s ailing health. “The court gave relief to the former prime minister allowing him to seek treatment from abroad,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2019