Govt to fall if Fazlur Rehman stages long march: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday claimed that the newly-elected government would topple if JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a former ally in Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) regime, decides to embark on a long march, ARY News reported.

Speaking to journalists at a district and session court in Islamabad, the former PTI leader castigated the incumbent government and said no one accept the latter “except for the [Narendra] Modi government and Ayan Ali”.

Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the government would not even last till May. “If Maulana Fazlur Rehman decides to embark on long march, the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will turn against the government,” he said.

He further claimed that no one from the European Union (EU) congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his appointment as the prime minister. He added that PTI-backed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would play an important role in toppling the government.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had rejected the election results as “rigged” and decided to sit on the opposition benches in parliament in “protest mode”.

The JUI-F refused to accept the electoral outcome lying down. He announced the party would kickstart nationwide protests against alleged electoral manipulation by “anti-Islamic forces.”

In the February 8 general elections, JUI-F secured 10 seats in the provincial assembly of Balochistan. However, despite being part of the last coalition government, the party managed to secure only 4 seats in the National Assembly.

Earlier, it was reported that JUI-F decided to launch a protest movement against the newly-formed federal government.

The protest movement would start from Sindh followed by Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and end in Islamabad. Fazlur Rehman would himself lead the movement.