Azadi March: Govt to move court over Fazlur Rehman's statements

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to approach the court over a recent statement by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said on Saturday.

Khattak, who is in charge of the government committee for negotiations with the opposition's Azadi March protesters, was addressing media in Islamabad alongside senior leaders Asad Umar, Shafqat Mehmood and Firdous Ashiq Awan. 

Khattak was referring to Fazl's statement about the arrest of Prime Minister Imran Khan from the PM House.

“The core committee has decided regarding Maulana’s statement about people taking PM Imran’s resignation forcibly. We will go against this to court. There are instigating people and steering them towards a wrong path. This is a mutiny and InshaAllah our case will be ready in this regard," he said.

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Pervez Khattak said that threatening words from the Azadi March leaders mean that they are not going to stick to their word given during the meeting prior to the rally.

Speaking to media, Khattak said that the in today's meeting, the core committee has decided to approach the court against the statement of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.

He said that the government feared that the opposition leaders will not stick to their terms. 

The senior PTI leader said that the door is still open to hold talks, reiterating that there will be no talk on the premier’s resignation.

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The press conference came after Prime Minister Imran Khan convened a meeting of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's core committee at Bani Gala earlier in the day to discuss a strategy to deal with the protesters.

Earlier sources said that Prime Minister Imran Khan informed the government's committee negotiating that he will not accept any unconstitutional and undemocratic demands of the Rahbar Committee with regards to the Azadi March.

The government’s negotiating team met Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the next steps regarding the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)-led Azadi March.

According to sources, the negotiating team lead by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak will also contact the Rahbar Committee over JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s speech.

Thousands of protesters under the rallying banner of JUI-F and other opposition parties have converged on the federal capital, seeking to send Prime Minister Imran Khan packing. Led by Fazlur Rehman, the opposition leaders on Friday gave the prime minister a two-day ultimatum to resign.