Baton-wielding force not to be allowed to march on Islamabad: KP minister

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said on Monday the government won’t allow the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) baton-wielding force to march towards Islamabad.

Speaking at a presser, he asked the JUI-F to hold a public meeting at a ground near the federal capital’s Peshawar interchange as per an understanding reached between the party and the Islamabad administration.

The minister said the party will enjoy complete freedom to hold a protest as far as it remains peaceful.

He expressed the hope that the JUI-F will abide by the agreement it signed with the government.

Yousafzai said a monitoring cell has been set up at the provincial home department to keep tabs on marchers’ movement and deter activities aimed at creating law and order situation in the province.

He said a ban has been imposed on the movement of wheat flour out of the province.

The minister said the government maintained a stock of wheat and flour to avoid a shortage of the commodity, warning that those creating its artificial shortage would be dealt with severely.

Earlier, on Oct 27, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had said an agreement that his party reached with the government on the venue of ‘Azadi March’ remains intact.

Maulana Fazl in a statement said they would abide by the agreement under which they will hold a rally in a ground near Islamabad’s H-9 sector and not enter the Red Zone.

He clarified the agreement was reached with the Islamabad administration and not the government.