Azadi march a 'war' against government: Fazlur Rehman

 Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman on Saturday said that his upcoming 'Azadi' march is a 'war' against the government and would continue until the government falls.

"The whole country will be our war zone", he told reporters at a press conference in Peshawar.

On Thursday, the JUI-F chief announced that the party would begin its anti-government ‘Azadi' march on October 27.

"The march would end in the capital and the party planned to stage a sit-in there", he added.

He said, "Our strategy will not be the same. We will keep changing it to cope with any situation. A mass of people from all over the country are coming to participate in this march and fake rulers will drown in it like a straw."

When asked whether he has been able to garner the support of other opposition parties, Rehman said, "I hope to see them in the march. All opposition parties agreed that last year's general elections were 'fake' and that a re-election should be held, they should all be "on the same page and same stage."

Both the two major opposition parties - PPP and PML-N - have been non-committal on the issue of participation in the march.

The PML-N had urged me to delay the march, while PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday said that he would hold a party meeting to decide 'the extent to which they can help', added Rehman.

The JUI-F chief said that he is not afraid of arrest and any such step will further increase the anger of the protesters against the government.

When asked about the use of children studying in madrasas against the government, he said, "The government is trying to deprive students of their democratic rights. A very few students studying in madrasas will participate in the march, because a large number of people from every section of the society are going to participate."IANS