ISLAMABAD    -   JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday gave Prime Minister Imran Khan a deadline of two days to resign from his office.

While addressing the marchers here in Islamabad he said that they [protesters] have lost patience. If the PM refused to resign then the people would enter the PM House and hold the prime minister by force, he warned.

The JUI-F chief said the government had no right to be in power as it was formed through fake elections. He said all the opposition parties rejected these sham and systematically rigged elections, therefore, the prime minister should resign immediately.

“People say we are using the religious card, but if the Constitution allows us to use Islam, I will use it. Who are you to stop me? Pakistan and Islam cannot be separated,” he said.

He maintained that they did not want any clash with the state institutions, adding that the state institutions should also play their due role and should remain within their domain.

If the state institutions did not stop backing the illegal government then they would be free to make their mind about them too, he warned.

While criticizing the policies of the government, Fazl said that economy of Pakistan had been destroyed and was sinking due to the failed policies and incompetence of the government.

He claimed that people were committing suicides and were forced even to sell their children for food and shelter. He added that the government had made hollow promises of providing five million homes and 10 million jobs to the poor people.

The JUI-F chief said that instead of fulfilling its promises, the government destroyed hundreds of thousands of families economically as millions of people were losing their jobs due to the economic crisis. He said the Islamic economic system was needed in the country to overcome the existing crisis.

Talking on the Kashmir issue, Fazl said that government had caused a huge damage to Kashmir cause. He said that what Indian army was doing in the Occupied Kashmir now was due to the failed foreign policy of the government.

He said the government has left the people of Kashmir alone and vowed to fight for the Kashmir cause till the end, as it was the matter of life and death for the people of Pakistan.

Talking about the Kartarpur Corridor he said that on one hand the relations with India were strained due to the Kashmir issue while on the other hand the government of Pakistan was opening the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh people.

Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakhtoonkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP) also addressed the marchers.

Shehbaz speech

Addressing the gathering, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that the container politics started by Imran Khan was going to be buried “today”. He said that the sea of people will topple this selected and fake government very soon.

He recalled that during their government people used to get free medicines and treatment, adding that the incumbent government had snatched this facility from the poor.

Shehbaz said people of Pakistan had realized the reality of ‘new Pakistan’. The ‘old Pakistan’ was far better than the new one, he added.

He further said that following the 2018 general election, “arrogant” Prime Minister Imran had refused to collaborate with the opposition to realise the idea of a ‘charter of economy’ floated by the opposition.

While questioning Imran Khan’s competence, the opposition leader called him a superstitious man whose all major decisions are dependent on sorcery and supernatural guidance.

He said that if they got another opportunity to govern the country then they [opposition parties] would put up a united front and work on restoring Pakistan’s economy.

The PML-N chief said that Imran Khan had a very strong support from all the institutions. If the PML-N had even 10 percent of that support, it would have taken Pakistan’s economy to the top, he added.

He claimed that if Imran khan remained in power any longer, Pakistan’s situation would further deteriorate.

“This sea of humans has made it clear that now is the time for change,” he said. He added that they would rebuild Pakistan under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and put the economy right within six months.

Bilawal address

Addressing the protesters, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari assured them of his party’s support against the PTI-led government.

“I reassure you all, Maulana Fazlur Rehman sahib and the united opposition, that we will support you in all your democratic steps and that we will send this selected PM home,” he said.

Reacting on the freedom of press issue, Bilawal asked what kind of freedom was this where neither the public nor politics nor journalism were free. He alleged that the media, like the government, was also “selected”.

He asked what kind of freedom of press it was where interviews of a RAW agent (Kulbushan Jhadav), an Indian Air Force pilot and that of the terrorists were aired, but the views of former President Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mian Nawaz Sharif were not aired.

The PPP chairman said that they did not accept such kind of freedom where the economy too was not free, where country’s budget was actually a PTI-IMF budget, and where the decisions of the economy were being made outside of the country. Even the decisions of the appointment of the finance minister, the head of the State Bank and the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) were made by the IMF, he alleged.

He termed the incumbent government as an anti-people government and said that they were not ready to accept it anymore. He said that this was a selected government and selected governments never govern as per the needs and wishes of the people.

Commenting on the performance of the PTI government, Bilawal said that people have been financially murdered through “economic terrorism” during the one year rule. He said the government was giving economic bailouts and favours to the rich at the expense of the poor.

Talking about the foreign policy, he maintained that the foreign policy of Pakistan will always be questioned if there was an incapable PM. He said that due to the presence of the selected PM, a historic attack was being carried out on Kashmir.

Criticizing the role of the prime minister on Kashmir issue, Bilawal said that people of Pakistan knew that the puppet prime minister had compromised on Kashmir. But no Pakistani will ever accept any compromise on Kashmir and fight for it until last breath, he added.

ANP leader leader Mian Iftikhar and Ghulam Ahmed Bilour in their speeches said that the first and foremost demand of the Azadi March protesters was the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Bilour asked participants of the march not to return to their homes until PM tendered his resignation.

PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said Pakistan was the name of a powerful federation and no unit was superior to the other in this federation. He said that they were there at the march to restore democracy and support the supremacy of the constitution and vote.