SUKKUR: Convoys of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers and supporters, led by its Sindh general secretary Dr Rashid Mehmood Soomro, Dr A.G. Ansari as well as several local leaders in different cities and towns, set off to Islamabad on Sunday to join a sit-in outside the Supreme Court building planned by the party for Monday.

Dr Ansari also led a rally of party workers which started from JUI-F’s district office and culminated at the Sukkur Press Club, where they held a sit-in.

The participants criticised Supreme Court’s recent order in former prime minister Imran Khan’s appeal against his remand in police custody. The SC had overturned the remand order and also ordered the Islamabad police to provide protection to him.

The rally participants described Mr Khan as terrorist and rejected the SC decision in his case. They vowed to travel to Islamabad to join the sit-in announced by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.

Speaking to them, Dr Ansari and other leaders expressed their full support to the Pakistan Democratic Movement and its narrative regarding “SC’s double standard” arguing that no other accused had ever been favoured by the SC in this fashion.

They alleged that Imran Khan had motivated his party workers and supporters to loot and set ablaze public and private properties in the May 9 protests in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and other places.

They demanded immediate re-arrest of Imran Khan.

DADU: A big JUI-F convoy led by Maulana Rashid Soomro passed through Jamshoro on Sunday evening and made a brief stopover on its way to Islamabad.

The convoy, coming from Kar­achi, comprised several hundred.

A large number of party workers and supporters received the convoy at Jamshoro toll plaza.

“The convoy left for Islamabad after an hour-long stopover,” said JUI-F leader Hafiz Jameel Ahmed.

He said the party’s Sindh convoy travelled through Hala, Matiari, Kazi Ahmed and Daulatpur before arriving in Jamshoro.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2023