‘Fully support Maulana’s march,’ says Nawaz Sharif – Pakistan

Former jailed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday supported the "Azadi March" of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) against the government, which will begin on October 31, saying he "supported it completely."

"Our point of view is the same as Maulana's [Fazlur Rehman’s] point of view, "Nawaz said while talking to reporters in an accountability court in Lahore. He was accompanied by his son-in-law, retired captain Mohammad Safdar.

A day earlier, Captain Safdar had revealed that the message of the supreme party to the workers was "must participate" in the protest of Maulana Fazl. "Those who love the country will join the march," Nawaz had quoted.

Nawaz recalled Friday that Rehman had asked for resignations and protests after the 2018 general elections, in which the PTI came to power. "We had convinced him not to take that course, but I feel [now] that his argument was solid. "

Not paying attention to Maulana's call for the march would be a mistake, he added.

Nawaz said he had already written a letter to his brother Shahbaz Sharif in this regard, detailing the future course of action of the party, and expressed his hope that the president of the PML-N will inform the media about it.

Differences within PML-N?

Earlier on Thursday, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif skipped "a very important meeting" with the former prime minister in jail, fueling speculation that the two brothers had developed differences on the issue of joining the March of JUI-F on October 31.

Shahbaz did not go to the Kot Lakhpat prison to meet his older brother despite the party's announcement that the former would submit suggestions from its main leaders to the latter regarding joining the JUI-F protest. The former Prime Minister of Punjab was to announce Nawaz's decision on the matter after the meeting.

A backache was mentioned as the reason for Shahbaz's failure to meet his older brother.

The sources believe that since Shahbaz is not in favor of joining the march, he "postponed" his meeting with Nawaz as he wanted to present "strong arguments" against the proposal to his brother later.

However, a television channel quoted Shahbaz on Thursday night saying he might have different opinions on some issues, but his older brother's decision was final and the party would follow.

Later in the day, some leaders, including Nawaz's son-in-law, declared that the former prime minister had given the workers a "go-ahead" to participate in it and expel the "selected government."

Nawaz writes letter to Maulana

PML-N's main leader, Mian Javed Latif, said Nawaz had written a letter to Maulana Fazl informing him of the party's decision to join the anti-government march.

The head of PML-N in Lahore, Pervaiz Malik, confirmed in a statement that, according to the Nawaz board, the party would take part in the march. "The time has come to get rid of Imran Khan's fascist government," he said.

The party's spokesman, Marriyum Aurangzeb, rejected reports on the differences between the two brothers during the march, describing them as a "malicious campaign."

& # 39; Something else at stake & # 39;

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during a press conference in Multan, intervened in speculation, saying that the PML-N does not completely agree with the head of the JUI-F and is divided into two camps by the theme of participation in the long march.

"One camp wishes to participate, while the other, which is a majority, does not wish to participate," he said.

He said that even within the PPP, one sees two divisions. "They say they will receive them in all cities, but they maintain that they have always been against Dharna's policy."

"Bilawal Bhutto Zardari himself had said they believe Dharna's policy is detrimental to democracy," he added.

He said that when the PTI was organizing a sit-in, the party was questioned "about the directives it is doing."

The chancellor said that the PTI was constantly criticized by people who said: "You are organizing a sit-down to derail democracy."

He said that at that time, PTI had clarified that it only seeks accountability in the electoral process that should begin from four constituencies.

"Finally, the Supreme Court listened to us and without even breaking a pot, or a breaking window, our protesters dispersed peacefully," said Qureshi.

"Today I ask Bilawal: what need do you have for a dharna? Whose directives are you that are firm in sustaining a dharna?"

The foreign minister questioned how it was that in 2014 there was a threat that democracy would derail and how that threat does not exist today. He said there was "something else at stake below the surface of the dharna."

"The real reasons are something completely different and what is shown is very different."

In a fulminating reprimand, he also criticized the JUI-F for its previous announcement to hold a march on October 27, the despicable day when Indian forces entered Kashmir and took over.