Azadi March: JUI-F's Fazl calls off talks with govt

Following a protest by other opposition parties, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl called off talks with the Pakistan government over his proposed 'Azadi March' which will call "to topple the ruling PTI government".

Fazl, who has accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of coming to power via rigged elections, on Sunday stopped his party's delegation from meeting Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, saying a decision on talks with the government would now be made by the opposition's Rehbar Committee, Dawn news reported.

The Rehbar Committee, having representation of all major opposition parties, will meet on Monday at the residence of its convener and JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani here to decide whether or not they should hold talks with the government team constituted by Khan.

The JUI-F chief on Satur­day had given a go-ahead to his party's secretary general and Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri to meet the Senate chairman, who as a member of the government negotiating team, had sought a meeting.

Fazl had earlier categorically stated that they would only talk to the government only after Khan's resignation, a demand which was rejected by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, the head of the government's negotiating team.

On June 25, Fazl on his own announced that his party had decided to hold a long march to Islamabad in the month of October.

Earlier this month, he had first set October 27 as the date for the march, but later deferred it till October 31.

The JUI-F has so far not disclosed details of the march.