ISLAMABAD    -   Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday tasked Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri to engage the top leadership of JUI-F about its Azadi March starting from October 27.

Informed sources said that the prime minister tasked the minister who also hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to meet the JUI-F top leadership including Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Akram Khan Durrani and have update about their plans.

The sources further said that some other ministers will also join the efforts aiming at convincing the JUI-F leaders that this was not the right time for such a plan which might cause destabilisation.

Leader of the House in the Senate Shibli Faraz and other people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are already in contact with Akram Durrani and Maulana Ghafoor Haideri.

The government has already asked JUI-F leadership to refrain from using students of seminaries for political purposes.

According to TV channels, the prime minister telephoned the minister and tasked him with contacting the JUI-F leadership and chalking out a plan to deal with protesters.

The prime minister has also asked the minister to present recommendations with regard to the protest that Maulana plans to hold at the end of this month in the federal capital.

Noorul Haq Qadri is also expected to contact Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the prime minister would hold consultations in a meeting in the light of recommendations presented by the religious affairs minister.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said that participants of his march would enter Islamabad on October 31. Earlier, the party had announced to hold the protest on October 27 and sought permission from local authorities for a gathering near Islamabad’s D-Chowk.