ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has refused to shift the venue of the sit-in protest out of the Red Zone.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah met the PDM president on Sunday night for the second time to convey a request by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to change the venue of the protest from outside Supreme Court to D-Chowk. However, Maulana refused to shift the venue and assured the federal ministers that the protest will be peaceful.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Finance Minister said that it has reassured that the protesters will be peaceful. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is president of the PDM, had decided the venue of the protest in consultations with other PDM leaders.

He said that the venue of the sit-in protest — outside Supreme Court — was decided in consultations with all the PDM leaders.

“Maulana has all the authority to make any decision…The decision about the exact venue of the protest will be taken on Monday morning,” he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023