QUETTA: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai has announced his party’s support for Azadi March scheduled to be held by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, he said that a roundtable conference should be convened in view of the political situation prevailing in the country.

Mr Achakzai termed Azadi March a movement of all democratic forces and said Maulana Fazlur Rehman had taken a bold step by launching his party’s march from Punjab.

He asked workers and supporters of his party to fully take part in Azadi March and rejected what he described as government propaganda that armed groups would join the march. He said giving more space to the incompetent prime minister would be a big blow for Pakistan and asked democratic parties to come forward to save the country from political and economic disaster.

Mr Achakzai warned the government of dire consequences if it stopped the people from taking part in the march.

He said the government was creating an impression that the march was against the state, but “there is a difference between the state and the government. People want to vent their anger against the wrong policies of the government which has failed in resolving the problems being faced by the people”.

He said the government should ensure best medical treatment of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif whether it was in Pakistan or abroad.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2019