LOWER DIR: Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Azadi March on Islamabad was meant to disrupt the Saudi crown prince’s visit to the country.

“[PTI chief] Imran Khan kept changing the long march’s date because the schedule of the Saudi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan wasn’t finalised. He wanted to disrupt that visit just like 2014 when he marched on Islamabad to block the Chinese president’s visit,” Mr Fazl told the Late Qazi Abdul Salam Baba Condolence Reference in Talash area here.

The PDM chief said political instability always caused economic destruction and the collapse of the state.

He said the PDM leadership was working hard to put the country on the track of development and prosperity.

Says PDM govt striving for national uplift

Mr Fazl said the PTI’s current Azadi March was a march for ‘indecency’ and not the nation’s freedom.

He alleged that the utterances of PTI chief Imran Khan against the military leadership had threatened a ‘division’ in the Pakistan Army.

He urged political parties to play due role to counter that threat.

The PDM chief, who also heads the JUI-F, said democracy was not allowed to work in Pakistan under a planned conspiracy.

He said first the political system was made controversial through the 2018 general elections, then the national economy was destroyed and currently, the country’s defence line was under attack.

“We [PDM] will foil all conspiracies against the country and its institutions,” he said.

Mr Fazl said the PDM government was a national government and that only one political party (PTI), which wanted to destroy the country, was not part of it.

He claimed that the current federal government had saved the country from the verge of economic collapse and was slowing putting it on the path of development and prosperity.

The PDM chief claimed that the PTI’s members had admitted to receiving funds from Jews and other non-Muslims.

In a veiled reference to Mr Imran, he said one, who changed statements all through the day, had no right to represent the nation.

Mr Fazl said the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Court had declared the PTI chief a ‘certified robber’ for being the country’s first ruler to sell toshakhana gifts to make money.

He said Imran was misleading innocent youth by attractive slogans besides targeting Islamic civilisation one way or the other to meet the enemy’s agenda.

The PDM chief said Pakistan was an Islamic democracy and only Islam offered solution to its all social, political and economic problems.

He acknowledged that the people were badly hit by high inflation, but said the PDM government was striving for the country’s economic revival to the relief of the common man.

Mr Fazl said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration deserved praise for ensuring Pakistan’s removal from the FATF grey list.

JUI-F provincial chief Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman, JUI-F Sindh secretary general Rashid Mehmood Somro, provincial deputy chief Mufti Fazal Ghafoor, district chief Sirajuddin and other leaders also spoke on the occasion.

Thousands of JUI-F workers from across Lower and Upper Dir districts attended the event amid tight security checks.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2022