The Pakistan People’s Party, which has been a supporter of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) Azadi March, has denied the latter permission to expand its protest to Sindh and block highways in the province.
The PPP government of Sindh had supported JUI-F’s Azadi March when it had begun from Karachi on October 27 and had promised Maulana Fazlur Rehman all ‘possible assistance’ through its journey in the province.
The relation between the two parties has come under stress following JUI-F’s announcement to end the Azadi March sit-in and its plans to act on Plan B, whereby its workers would be closing main highways in the country, including those in Sindh.
During a press conference, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani was asked about the provincial government’s strategy to deal with road blockades by JUI-F workers. According to a report in Dawn, Ghani stated that details of the opposition parties’ decision had not been shared.
He added, “It is very clear from day one that we have supported all the protest activities which don’t disturb a common man’s life.”
He stated that they appreciated that the Azadi March had remained peaceful during the two-week sit-in in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, senior JUI-F leader in Sindh Qari Mohammad Usman stated that party workers were making arrangements to block the Hub River Road in Karachi to cut off the port-city’s link with Balochistan.
He added that workers would also be staging sit-ins in Larkana and Jacobabad.
Usman further said that they appreciated PPP’s support to the Azadi March and looked forward to their cooperation with regard to plan B.
“We are peaceful and not challenging anyone, neither affecting common man’s life,” he said.
Usman further apprised media that the party’s workers would be carrying out protests in Sukkur, Panno Aqil, Ghotki and would block the Sukkur-Multan highway.
However, the provincial government appears to not be behind JUI-F’s protests in Sindh.
Saeed Ghani told media that JUI-F’s blockage of roads and highways could never be allowed.