PESHAWAR: The opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday asked their workers to reach Lahore for participation in Pakistan Democratic Movement’s Dec13 public meeting.

Speaking at a press conference at his party’s secretariat in Peshawar, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl provincial chief Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman said that the government wanted to ban its volunteer group, Ansarul Islam, to break the tempo of PDM’s activities.

“The federal government has authorised the provinces to take appropriate action against Ansarul Islam,” he said and clarified that it was a not an armed wing of the party. He said JUI-F was a registered party with the Election Commission of Pakistan and Ansarul Islam was also mentioned in the party’s constitution submitted to the commission.

Say struggle will continue till PTI govt’s ouster

Flanked by JUI-F provincial spokesman Maulana Abdul Jalil Jan, provincial general secretary Maulana Attaul Haq Darvesh and others, the party’s provincial chief said the government had released water in the Lahore venue where PDM wanted to hold its gathering. He said that such tactics could not stop the opposition from moving ahead with its ‘non-stop’ agenda. He asked members of the Ansarul Islam to ensure their participation in the public meeting at all costs.

“Had the government been capable of serving people the tragic incident at Khyber Teaching Hospital would not have happened where six people died due to unavailability of oxygen,” he said and demanded registration of an FIR against the provincial health minister and other relevant health department officials.

Maulana Attaur Rehman asked for withdrawal of cases registered against the opposition parties on Nov 22 and said PDM’s struggle would continue till ouster of the government. He demanded immediate suspension of the officials facing charges of corruption in the Billion Tree Tsunami and BRT projects.

Similarly, PML-N also reviewed its preparations for participation in the Dec13 Lahore public meeting and asked its office-bearers to ensure presence of workers in large numbers from different districts.

In this connection, a meeting of PML-N was held in Peshawar with its provincial president Amir Muqam where office-bearers from across the province shared their views. Mr Muqam hoped that the Lahore public meeting would pave the way for ousting the government.

He said the opposition had launched a decisive movement which would not compromise on its agenda and its only aim was ouster of the government. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial general secretary Murtaza Javed Abbasi and other office-bearers also spoke on the occasion.

Pakistan Peoples Party provincial deputy secretary information Gohar Khan Inqilabi told Dawn that his party would strictly follow PDM’s decisions and workers were ready to reach Lahore for the scheduled public meeting.

PPP provincial secretary information (women wing), Mehr Sultana, said that the well-attended PDM rallies showed that masses wanted to get rid of the government. On KTH incident, she said the health minister should admit failure and step down.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2020