‘Will not allow opposition to lockdown country’

By
APP
|

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said that the law will take its course if the opposition tried to lockdown or “jam” the country under the guise of Azadi March.

Speaking to the media at the Governor’s House on Saturday, Sarwar said the government needed a guarantee from the opposition regarding a peaceful demonstration. "The government would facilitate peaceful protest," he said.

Responding to s question, the governor said the government believed in negotiations with the opposition and supported a peaceful settlement of the issue, adding if negotiations failed, future course of action will be adopted.

When asked about the Chaudhry brothers, Sarwar said he recently met the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leadership and they were willing to play their role in negotiations with the opposition. “The government has formed a powerful committee to negotiate with opposition,” he said.

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He expressed hope that the opposition would not show stubbornness.

Stressing the government was not wary of Fazl’s call, he said the opposition’s only demand was the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding such unlawful demands could not be fulfilled as the government will complete its constitutional term of five years.

On the resignations by the opposition, he said the opposition would not resign from parliament, adding the protest call was a mere threat.

“The PTI has already experienced 126-day sit-in and the opposition parties will only come to know bitterness and difficulties of dharna when they undertake it,” he said.

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“If Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other opposition parties will try to create chaos and anarchy in the country it will badly damage the nation’s consensus and solidarity for Kashmir at this crucial time," Sarwar said.