LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday told Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Sirajul Haq that his suggestion for allowing the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to take out its ‘long march’ has been accepted.

The message was conveyed to the JI leader through Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid. A JI press release quoted the minister as saying the prime minister had accepted Haq’s suggestion for removing hurdles and containers placed on the route of the ‘Azadi March’.

“It is now responsibility of the march participants to remain peaceful and avoid causing harm to state property,” the release stated.

Talking to the media earlier at Mansoora, Haq warned if both sides did not sit together to resolve the issue the ‘long march’ could follow a “double march”.

“If the political leaders do not show tolerance, the game will go out of their hands and they all may have to rest at home,” the JI leader was quoted as saying.

He noted the prime minister did not give any timeframe for the proposed judicial commission to probe allegations of election rigging. He cautioned that the government should abandon the idea of obstructing the march as “people’s marches can’t be stopped by placing containers”.

Haq wished Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and other political leaders joined hands at the Independence Day function to show complete national unity and harmony.

Published in Dawn, Aug 14th, 2014