ISLAMABAD    -    While the JUI-F is striving to get support of main political forces from the opposition for its announced anti-government long march, the PML-N has still kept cards close to its chest to fully participate in the proposed lockdown.

The PML-N, the biggest opposition party, will build more pressure on the PTI government for two more weeks and declare its final decision after taking all its party members on board. The former ruling party is mulling to take a unanimous decision with the support of Pakistan People’s Party, which has so far kept itself at a distance from Maulana Fazlur Rahman, background discussions with the opposition parties leaders revealed. The JUI-F has recently announced staging ‘Azadi March’ in October to besiege Islamabad and now holding parleys with senior leaders of both the main opposition parties (PML-N and PTI) to garner their support.

The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari recently made it clear to leader of the JUI-F that they would not participate in long march but will provide moral support.

Sources said that the delegation of JUI-F will hold more meetings with the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to convince him to join hands with them for at least the long march. The JUI-F, they said, will only push both the main parties to support them in the long march, if not for the sit-in.

They said that the same formula will also be discussed with the main PML-N, which has given indication to support them in the protest. Talking to The Nation, PML-N senior leader Riaz Hussian Pirzada said that the situation had gone above their party’s support as he believed that people will support the JUI-F in anti-government long march.

“PML-N will make its final decision in the party’s CEC meeting,” said the lawmaker, mentioning that the opposition parties will finalise their future strategy after observing the situation as still two weeks were there. Pirzada was much optimistic about Maulan’s political manoeuvring to gain support of at least PML-N for both long march and sit-in in the Islamabad. PML-N MNA Ahsan Iqbal had already remarked that the JUI-F and the PML-N had complete understanding on the issue. He even had demanded that the incumbent government should immediately resign because of its poor performance. However, he said that important decisions would be taken in the PML-N’s CEC meeting on September 30.

PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq in a media talk had also said that although the government was not performing well but the final decision to support JUI-F will be taken in the party’s meeting.

Sources said that the PML-N members will not indicate anything about their support for the JUI-F protest in their speeches in the Parliament but keep building pressure on PTI’s government at different levels.

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman had warned Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down for ‘stealing public mandate’ in 2018 general elections, otherwise; the JUI-F would march on Islamabad.

Political pundits viewed that the political situation changes so quickly. JUI-F has to get support of other opposition forces for its plans of the protest and sit-in. The support of the main political forces may help in building real pressure on government, they said.