Government's ministers retort to Fazl's fiery speech against PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Two of the government's ministers late Sunday retorted to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman's fiery criticism of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Addressing a press conference, Murad Saeed and Noor-ul-Haq Qadri — the federal ministers for postal services and religious affairs, respectively — defended PM Imran by saying people should join him in building a "Riyasat-e-Medina," or State of Medina.

"The love for Medina is in the heart of the prime minister," Qadri said, adding that it was based on the premier's directions that schoolchildren were made to read and understand the teachings of the Quran.

SAPM expresses disappointment at personal attacks on PM

The special assistant to PM Imran on information and broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, also responded to Fazl, saying she was disappointed that the JUI-F chief issued personal statements against the prime minister.

"What we have been seeing since this entire week in Islamabad is a theatre," said Dr Awan. She said she was glad that the JUI-F chief had not done anything after his ultimatum had expired.

A throng of protesters descended upon the federal capital under the Azadi March banner, demanding the premier step down. The caravan that had earlier started off from Sindh travelled through Punjab and set up camp in Islamabad Thursday night.

48-hour ultimatum

Opposition leaders had delivered fiery speeches against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Friday, giving the prime minister a 48-hour ultimatum to resign.

Fazl had given PM Imran two days to step down, failing which the protesters would march on to the PM House, "force" him to step down, and "arrest" him.

The government announced on Saturday that they would approach the courts over Fazl's statements, accusing him of "instigating the people" and rallying them for "mutiny".

—Follow the live updates from Azadi March here