Various religious leaders, including JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, addressed the conference and spoke about the importance of following the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The conference began after Asr and continued till late into the night.
have gathered in Islamabad to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning of chaos if their demands were not met.
The protest in the capital is the first concerted opposition challenge the cricket star-turned-politician has faced since he won a general election last year promising to end corruption.
Security remains tight in Islamabad with the government and diplomatic sector – just a few kilometres from the rally site – sealed off, and roads blocked from shipping containers.
Government has rejected resignation demand, PM rules out the possibility of an NRO for protest leaders
Pakistan Army reaffirms continued support to state institutions
DG ISPR says the army is an impartial institution which supports legitimate governments; has no role in politics
Deadlock persists after second round of negotiations
Nov; 9
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has condemned Indian Supreme Court verdict to hand over Babri Mosque land to Hindus for construction of a temple.
“The Indian Supreme Court’s decision reflects a narrow mindedness,” said Rehman. India has miserably failed to protect the rights of minorities.”
Some participants return home after cold grips capital
Some participants of the sit-in started returning to their homes as the mercury dropped in the federal capital.
Compared to last week, the number of participants has reduced after a spell of heavy rains and clerics are urging people to join the sit-in through mosque loudspeakers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he did not accept the ‘fake’ parliament let alone legislation passed through it.
“No legislation has taken place since formation of this parliament… their president promulgates 10 to 15 ordinances in one go and then these ordinances are hurried through the house,” he said.
“Let me assure you one thing, resolutions of a fake assembly like this and its legislations have no legal value. These are forced laws and the nation would never accept executive orders of the controversial prime minister.”
Conveying the message of ‘unity’ and ‘harmony’ to all state institutions, Maulana Fazl, in his address to the protesters, said they were expected to support all opposition parties in uprooting this “incompetent and illegitimate government”.
He thanked and lauded PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai for accompanying him at the container.
Commenting on the ongoing negotiations with the government, he said, “We have conveyed the message to the government’s team to visit us when you have [PM Imran Khan’s] resignation with you”.
He lauded the sacrifices of armed forces for restoring peace in the country. “But, without our efforts and sacrifices you wouldn’t have achieved these successes,” he said.
“We didn’t give these sacrifices so that these evil rulers are imposed on us… If we can’t allow people to raise arms against Pakistan in the name of Islam then we also can’t allow Imran Khan to come into power through rigging,” the JUI-F chief said.
Giving message of unity and harmony to all state institutions, bureaucracy and the security establishment, he invited all to play their role in uprooting the “incompetent and illegitimate government”.
November 8,
Patience is wearing thin among some residents of the capital enduring another round of anti-government protests, with tens of thousands of opposition supporters showing no sign of giving up despite the onset of winter rain.
Huge crowds descended on Islamabad from various parts of the country a week ago, denouncing the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan as illegitimate and calling for him to step down.
PM Imran has dismissed the calls to resign and his government.
The protesters are occupying a large open area alongside one of Islamabad’s main roads, the latest in a succession of drawn-out sit-ins over recent years, including one PM Imran himself, led against the previous government.
Govt negotiation committee meets PM
The government committee meets Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad and briefs him regarding the latest developments in negotiations with the opposition over JUI-F’s march.
Only focused on Nawaz right now: Maryam
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz says she is solely focused on helping her father recover as questions persist over her participation in the Azadi March.
“Politics will continue throughout life but our parents will not remain forever. I lost my mother a year ago, and now my complete focus is on Mian sahab,” she said in a talk with reporters after an accountability court appearance in Lahore.
“I don’t leave him [Nawaz] with servants and nurses, and I am with him 24/7.”
Maryam’s statement comes amid reports that despite PML-N’s claims of all-out support, the party will only continue to verbally back the JUI-F sit-in.
Govt team not communicating real demands to PM: Khawaja Asif
Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif reminds the PTI of its role in the introduction of “dharna politics” in Pakistan.
“Pervaiz Khattak, you sowed the seeds for what you are facing today,” he said, referring to the defence minister who is leading the government’s negotiation team.
He claimed that PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has said the government’s negotiation committee “is not communicating the opposition’s real demands to the prime minister”.
Asif also opposed the induction of assembly speakers and the Senate chairman in the government’s negotiating team.
“You people should be an advocate for democracy, not any particular party.”
Asif said the opposition will be forced to move the Supreme Court if the government does not stop “disrespecting the constitution”.
Khattak urges opposition to engage in dialogue
Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak has invited the opposition to come to the dialogue table for the sake of democracy, constitution, and law in the country.
Responding to a point of order raised by PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, he said the opposition talks of democracy and law, but it is not ready to sit on the dialogue table to sort out issues.
He accused JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman of treating the negotiations with the government “as a mere timepass”.
“If you [Maulana Fazl] stand speak for democracy, then this [Parliament] is where your voice should be heard. You can keep sitting in Islamabad but please do not harm the country,” Khattak said.
He also criticised the opposition for not exercising the democratic options available for redressal of their concerns.
“We raised our concerns over rigging at every forum before launching our protest. What has the opposition done; which forum have they approached?”
He said the people of Pakistan have rejected the opposition parties in the general elections and they should accept voters’ verdict.
To another point, Khattak said the Constitution of Pakistan allows the government to promulgate ordinances.
The National Assembly witnessed a heated session on Friday as government and opposition lawmakers traded barbs over the ongoing Azadi March.
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf questioned NA Speaker Asad Qaiser’s induction in the government’s negotiating team.
“Mr Speaker, you are the custodian of this house. Why are you becoming controversial? This government is bent on making every institution controversial,” said the PPP leader.
Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, who is heading the government’s negotiation team, also addressed the assembly amid uproar from the opposition benches.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has chosen me to head the government’s negotiation team. I included the Senate chairman and speakers of the national and Punjab assemblies in the team to facilitate me,” Khattak asserted in his NA address.
He warned the opposition that the current situation would not last for long. “This [anti-government protests] cannot continue. This is not how we will run this country.”
“If you [Maulana Fazl] stand for democracy, then this [Parliament] is where your voice should be heard. You can keep sitting in Islamabad but please do not harm the country,” Khattak said.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur said he was ready to vacate his seat to contest a by-election against JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
He urged Fazl Rehman to end his sit-in and prepare for a by-election to prove his popularity.
In his response, JUI-F leader Assad Mahmood said he was ready to tender his resignation if Gandapur did the same.
Another PTI minister, Murad Saeed, questioned the validity of the opposition’s criticism of the government.
“It is strange to see the opposition criticising us. Khawaja Asif had a UAE iqama when he was foreign minister of this country. It was Khawaja Asif who declared Prime Minister Imran Khan an “Islamist” to appease the Americans and portray the PML-N government as liberal and enlightened,” he said.
The assembly has now been adjourned to meet again at 4pm on Monday.
Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, head of government’s negotiating team, has said that the deadlock between the government and the opposition is over PM Imran’s resignation and early elections in the country.
Speaking to the media today, Khattak predicted that “Maulana Fazl might be here [in Islamabad] till the 12th”.
“Our talks are underway with the opposition. The opposition can bring a no-confidence motion whenever they want to.”
“Chaudhry Pervez Elahi is only facilitating talks with the opposition. The government’s negotiation committee will take any final decision,” Khattak clarified.
Efforts to break the deadlock between the opposition and the PTI-led government continue as the Islamabad sit-in enters its seventh day.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is meeting JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman again in the capital. The PML-Q leader will brief Fazl on his discussion with PM Imran Khan.
Elahi, who is a member of the government’s negotiating team, is meeting Fazl for the fourth time in two days.
He told the media on Wednesday that negotiations were progressing, calling for patience as “there are many processes underway at the same time”.
Elahi and his cousin, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, had also called on the 66-year-old JUI-F chief on Monday night.
Fawad confident there is ‘no threat’ to govt
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry believes the Azadi March does not pose a threat to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government or the security of the federal capital, Islamabad.
“Any attempt to destabilise Pakistan will be foiled and no one will be allowed to hinder the country’s path to progress,” the minister said in a talk with reporters on Friday.
He also criticised JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl for misguiding madrasa students.
“His [Fazl’s] own children are not participating in the sit-in. In the past, he sent madrasa students to Afghanistan and now he has brought them here [Islamabad] for his personal interests,” said Fawad
November 7,
PTI parliamentarians to meet at 3pm
Prime Minister Imran Khan has called a meeting of PTI parliamentarians at 3pm in Islamabad.
The meeting has been convened to formulate a strategy to deal with the opposition’s imminent protest in today’s National Assembly session, which is scheduled to commence at 4pm.
The meeting will also discuss the Azadi March with a particular focus on the negotiations underway with the opposition.
Rahbar Committee to meet at Durrani’s residence
The opposition’s Rahbar Committee has called a meeting at JUI-F leader Akram Durrani’s residence in Islamabad.
The meeting, expected to commence at around 2:30pm, has been convened to chalk out a future plan of action as the Islamabad sit-in enters its seventh day.
Durrani will also brief the Rahbar Committee members on Maulana Fazl’s meeting with the Chaudhrys of Gujrat
Some scenes from the JUI-F dharna site in Islamabad
SCBA, PBC want Justice Isa reference in JUI-F’s charter of demands
Superior bars have approached JUI-F, requesting it to add withdrawal of the presidential reference against Supreme Court judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, in their ‘charter of demands’.
Newly elected Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Chairman Syed Qulbi Hassan and Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah on Wednesday visited the site of ‘Azadi March’ in Islamabad. Protesters are gathered in the capital demanding that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s year-old government quits.
Both bar leaders, in their respective addresses, supported the march and also met JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
November 6,
Khattak rejects impression of deadlock
Defence Minister, Pervez Khattak has rejected the impression that there is a deadlock with the opposition over ‘Azadi March’.
Talking to a private news channel, he has said all political parties in the country want to find a way through the discussion.
“The government had offered the opposition to bring evidence, if they have any, of alleged rigging in the last general elections,” said Khattak.
He also has assured a commission will be set up provided the opposition has evidence to support their claim.
Marches and dharnas are a political activity: DG ISPR
In response to JUI-F’s demands of re-elections with no role of the army in the electoral process, Major General Asif Ghafoor has responded saying that marches and dharnas are a political activity and the Pakistan Army, as a state institution, has nothing to do with politics.
In a television interview, DG ISPR also said that the Pakistan Army had supported the then democratic government during the dharna staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2014.
“The army had followed the government instructions at that time. The army, as an institution, had deployed troops for the security of important buildings and performed other tasks assigned by the government,” the military spokesperson said. “The army follows the government’s orders.”
Fazl lauds marchers
JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman appreciates protesters for braving harsh weather conditions.
“If we can survive rain and stormy winds then nothing can stop us from achieving our targets,” he said in his address to the protesters.
The JUI-F chief announced converting ‘Azadi March’ into Seerat-e-Tayyaba Conference on 12 Rabiul Awwal.
He criticised the country’s judicial system, saying “one-sided justice and accountability” won’t be tolerated.
“We announce support to lawyers’ protest and demand that cases against Justice Qazi Faez Isa be taken back,” he said.
Some scenes from the JUI-F dharna site in Islamabad
Isa reference in JUI-F’s charter of demands
Superior bars have approached JUI-F, requesting it to add withdrawal of the presidential reference against Supreme Court judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, in their ‘charter of demands’.
Newly elected Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Chairman Syed Qulbi Hassan and Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah on Wednesday visited the site of ‘Azadi March’ in Islamabad. Protesters are gathered in the capital demanding that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s year-old government quits.
Both bar leaders, in their respective addresses, supported the march and also met JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
November 6,
Khattak rejects impression of deadlock
Defence Minister, Pervez Khattak has rejected the impression that there is a deadlock with the opposition over ‘Azadi March’.
Talking to a private news channel, he has said all political parties in the country want to find a way through the discussion.
“The government had offered the opposition to bring evidence, if they have any, of alleged rigging in the last general elections,” said Khattak.
He also has assured a commission will be set up provided the opposition has evidence to support their claim.
November 6, 9:30pm
Marches and dharnas are a political activity: DG ISPR
In response to JUI-F’s demands of re-elections with no role of the army in the electoral process, Major General Asif Ghafoor has responded saying that marches and dharnas are a political activity and the Pakistan Army, as a state institution, has nothing to do with politics.
In a television interview, DG ISPR also said that the Pakistan Army had supported the then democratic government during the dharna staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2014.
“The army had followed the government instructions at that time. The army, as an institution, had deployed troops for the security of important buildings and performed other tasks assigned by the government,” the military spokesperson said. “The army follows the government’s orders.”
