Leader threatens Pak lockdown

Islamabad, Nov. 4: Maulana Fazlur Rehman , Pakistan’s firebrand cleric-cum-politician, threatened to lockdown the entire country as a deadline set by him calling for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation expired on Sunday night. Rehman, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), addressed a mammoth protest rally in Islamabad at the end of two-day deadline. Rehman had led a caravan of supporters, dubbed the ‘Azadi’ March, to Islamabad last week in an attempt to pressure Khan to step down. Rehman stressed that the protest would continue until the objective was achieved. “It is clear that the ruler (Imran Khan) will have to go and give the people a chance to elect a new ruler through fair elections. It is clear that there is no other option,” Rehman said. Rehman said that the ongoing protest was part of plan A and he had a plan B and C and would take a decision about continuing the sit-in in Islamabad or expand it.

“Today Islamabad is facing lockdown; next we will lockdown the entire country. We will not stop and continue our struggle,” Rehman said.

Rehman announced that he was planning to meet other Opposition leaders on Monday to take a consensus decision about any future course of action.

“This movement and this flood of people will continue until Imran Khan is thrown out of power,” Rehman said.

Rehman was supported by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Qaumi Watan Party, National Party and Awami National Party.