JUI-F urges govt to allow PTI’s peaceful protest

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has urged the government to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold its long march towards Islamabad, saying peaceful protest is a democratic right.

Speaking to reporters alongside opposition leaders in Islamabad, Fazl said the government should trust PTI’s commitment to keeping the demonstration peaceful. He criticised measures aimed at preventing protesters from entering the federal capital.

A delegation of opposition parties met Fazl at his residence after consultations on the country’s political situation. The delegation included Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Akhundzada Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai.

Fazl said political disputes should be resolved through dialogue and maintained that negotiations could have produced better results if outside forces had not become involved. He stressed that successful talks required flexibility and compromise from all sides.

The JUI-F chief also rejected doubts over the patriotism of opposition politicians. He said all political parties should respect the Constitution and the state, while calling for a balanced political environment.

Fazl said the opposition delegation had invited him to attend a proposed multi-party conference. He said his party would examine the invitation before deciding its participation. He added that political parties should work together to develop a common agenda through consultation.

Discussing the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fazl questioned the repeated reliance on military operations to address terrorism. He said operations had previously been conducted in areas ranging from Swat to Waziristan, yet many affected residents had still been unable to return to their homes.

He also criticised the deteriorating security situation in the province and said the KP government appeared increasingly paralysed by lawlessness. He questioned how long operations could continue without addressing the underlying problems.

Senator Raja Nasir Abbas said the opposition delegation wanted Fazl to join efforts for a consensus-based political agenda. He warned that political instability was worsening and argued that extremist tendencies could grow when the political process is disrupted.

Abbas also said Fazl had opposed the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency in KP.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said coercive measures had widened the gap between the public and the state. He maintained that Imran Khan’s political struggle was centred on the Constitution and rule of law, and vowed that the movement would continue.