Opposition’s Rehbar Committee decides to end countrywide road blockades

The opposition’s Rehbar Committee on Tuesday called off the road blockades and anti-government sit-ins being held in various parts of the country in order to “not cause inconvenience to the public”. Addressing a press conference after an hours-long meeting of the committee, JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani directed workers to open all blocked roads starting tonight. Instead, he announced, the opposition will hold joint jalsas at the district level as part of its anti-government movement. He said since the Rehbar Committee’s decision was the “final word”, it was being conveyed to workers to end the road blockades. As part of the ‘Plan-B’ of the JUI-F-led Azadi March against the government, party workers have been blocking major highways and road links by staging sit-ins across the country since last week. The JUI-F’s sit-in in Islamabad — the first leg of the protest movement — was abruptly called off by party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman after 13 days last Wednesday. Both the PPP and PML-N had distanced themselves from the JUI-F sit-in as well as the party’s move to block the country’s main roads and highways. Durrani said the Rehbar Committee had today reviewed the political situation and expressed satisfaction at the process of “increasing pressure on the government”.“The opposition is united,” he declared, adding that their goal remains the achievement of their four demands. DAWN.CON