No talks before expiry of deadline set by Fazl: minister – Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The government does not intend to hold talks with the opposition before the expiration of the two-day period on Sunday (tomorrow) established by the head of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman for resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

This was stated by the federal Minister of Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood, a member of the government negotiating team constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan to involve the opposition before the start of the Azadi march on October 27, while speaking with Dawn, hours after the speech. of the head of the JUI-F and other opposition leaders.

Prime Minister Imran Khan convened a meeting of the Pakistan Central Committee Tehreek-i-Insaf in Banigala on Saturday (today) to discuss the strategy regarding the sitting of the JUI-F.

Mahmood said the opposition parties had held their public meeting in the place agreed under the agreement and so far they had not made any announcement about whether they would move towards D-Chowk or some other place.

He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced that they would make the following decision after two days and "we have no objections, if they continue to sit there for two days, three days or even more."

Warns against the violation of the agreement reached for the march of Azadi

"When they (the opposition) make a decision and if a new situation arises, we will also finalize our strategy," he said.

Mahmood said the government did not feel the need to involve the opposition before they announced the next plan. However, he said they were already in contact with members of the opposition Rehbar Committee.

The minister said in his speeches that opposition leaders had said "nothing significant." He said his agreement was only about the place. The opposition, he said, in the agreement had agreed that they would remain confined in the assigned place and as far as they remained there, the government had no problems.

Mahmood said talks could be held if the opposition had specific demands. Once again, he stated categorically that no talks could be held on the subject of the Prime Minister's resignation.

"Conversations cannot be held on two issues: the resignation of the prime minister and new elections," said the minister, referring to the two demands made by opposition leaders in his speeches and television interviews.

Mahmood criticized the opposition for disturbing normal life in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. He regretted the closure of educational institutions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad due to the demonstration of the opposition.

He said the government realized the difficulties people faced due to road closures and traffic diversion, but said they could not forcibly evict these protesters.

Responding to a question, he said that until now they were "satisfied" with the opposition, saying that they had not violated any clause of the agreement between them and the local administration.

The head of the government negotiating team and Defense Minister Pervez Khattak warned the opposition not to move towards the sensitive D-Chowk in the red zone, saying the law would take its course if the opposition violated the agreement.

During an informal conversation with journalists, the defense minister ridiculed the opposition's demand for the prime minister's resignation, saying that "a cat always dreams of meat."

JUI-F strategy

Meanwhile, a senior member of the opposition said Friday that the JUI-F had set a strategy to "gradually move forward" towards D-Chowk, which is about 13 kilometers from the sitting place. He said that the JUI-F had a plan to change its scenario from the existing place to a new place towards the red zone area on Saturday (today). The stage, he said, would then be pushed further from the site on Sunday only as a warning to the government.

SAPM in opposition

According to the state Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan in her tweets on the social networking website Twitter attacked the opposition's march in Azadi, saying "it is strange that those who were transplanted by the general Jilani now complain about the lack of support from the institutions. "

He added that the support received by Shahbaz Sharif and his party from the system and institutions was "unprecedented." “But you always stabbed them in the back and worked against the national interest. You changed the turbans with Modi and took Jandal on a trip to Murree, ”he tweeted. She claimed that the opposition was plotting to cause political instability in the country.

Posted on Dawn, November 2, 2019