In a new twist to the turn of events involving the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl's (JUI-F) ongoing sit-in, Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday welcomed the remarks of Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor in which he dissociated the military from politics.

"We welcome the remarks of DG ISDPR. Not only us but also the whole nation hold the armed forces in high esteem. They are very dear to us," the JUI-F chief told the protestors at the sit-in site as the protestors chanted 'Pak Army Zindabad' (live long Pak Army) slogans.

After strong criticism of the state institutions over the last few days, Fazl visibly changed his stance on Thursday. "You tend to complain to your own people, after all. You don't complain to the outsiders. Complaining is an expression of cordiality," Fazal said impliedly referring to his earlier criticism of the state institutions.

Earlier on Wednesday last, several media outlets had quoted the DG ISPR as having said that Azadi March is a political activity and the armed forces have nothing to do with it. "The armed forces of a country have no involvement in politics. The dharnas have been taking place in the country for quite some time now," he was quoted as saying. The DG ISPR also said, "Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a senior politician who loves Pakistan."

Addressing his supporters at the sit-in site Thursday, Fazal said, "I ask the state institutions in a brotherly tone, these people who are running this country, they are incapable of running the affairs of Pakistan. Their presence at the helm of affairs is detrimental to the interests of this country. I urge my state institutions to please reconsider their policies regarding this selected government."

Fazl continued strong criticism of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government. He even went to the extent so as to suggest that dialogue between the JUI-F and the government is actually a futile exercise. "This dialogue, their (government's) delegation's visits to us, these meetings-they come and go-all of this rendezvous is totally useless. This would lead to nowhere. I tell them, if you want to meet us, come with the PM's resignation. That's all. The rest is irrelevant."

He rejected the proposal of formation of a national commission to probe alleged rigging in last year's general elections. "You need to probe anything that lacks witnesses. This stealing of the public mandate is something that has taken place in front the entire nation. The entire nation is witness to the theft of the public mandate."

The JUI-F chief accused the PM's sister of stashing billions of dollars in Dubai's banks but attempted to detach himself from this accusation. "It's not me who is saying this. It's a verified information doing rounds everywhere."

Fazl said millions of rupees are being spent on police deployment in the federal capital in the backdrop of the Azadi March and sit-in. "This money that is being spent from the national kitty is totally unaccounted for. Who is responsible for all this unnecessary expenditure when we are totally peaceful?"

Maulana also paid homage to his supporters for staging a peaceful sit-in. "Your peaceful assembly here at the sit-in site has negated all the perceptions -that the followers of a religious party would resort to violence and take the law into their hands-these baseless allegations have been put to rest."

For the last 20 years or so, Pakistan has been dragged into religious extremism controversy and the religious forces have been stigmatized as extremists, the JUI-F chief said. "But the peaceful conduct of the Azadi March has effectively countered the Western propaganda of religious extremism in Pakistan. The entire world is seeing; we the Pakistanis are peaceful nation and the religion has nothing to do with violence."

However in the same vein, Fazl threatened that things may slip out of control if the JUI-F's demand of the PM's resignation is not entertained. "Who would be responsible if peace is disrupted? So far we are peaceful, but don't test our patience. There is a limit to everything, don't forget that."

The JUI-F is under massive criticism from Pakistan's political and public circles for having no female participation in its sit-in. The JUI-F, which has mostly tended to avoid commenting on it, did not offer much explanation on Thursday as well. "The westernized thinking does not know the value of humanity," he said while avoiding to comment any further.

Meanwhile, following heavy downpour in the federal capital on Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday early morning, the number of protestors at the sit-in site has decreased considerably. Till few days ago, the reports of Islamabad Police's Special Branch estimated the number of protestors at the sit-in site between 35,000 to 40,000 but this number has now dropped considerably with the advent of cold weather.

Islamabad's district administration has opened several routes that were earlier closed in different parts of the federal capital due to the sit-in. However, containers are still placed alongside the roads to respond to any untoward situation. The entry into the Red Zone is still highly restricted, as different roads leading to the Red Zone are sealed. Only authorised vehicles are allowed entry into the Red Zone.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019