Election to be held before 2020: Maulana Fazlur Rehman

Election would be held before next year, insists opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Talking to the media, flanked by Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leaders Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) said that if the prime minister had resigned the protests would not have spread to the entire country today.

Rehman added that his party workers will block main highways across the country. “I would advise the provincial governments to let us exercise our democratic right to protest,” he told reporters. When asked if he expects national polls to be held next year, he said, “2020 is very far away. Election will be held before that.”

Meanwhile, Elahi praised the JUI-F chief for holding a peaceful sit-in in the federal capital. “The large sit-in proves that Maulana Fazlur Rehman is the only opposition leader in Pakistan,” Elahi said. “His was one unique sit-in, compared to previous ones, where bullets were fired and people were injured.”

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Later, Shujaat Hussain also spoke to the media and revealed that he told Prime Minister Imran Khan that his office is an important one. “I told him that he should dispense justice. Our political party also said this in the national assembly that Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to leave the country for medical treatment.”

The PML-Q is a coalition partner of the ruling party at the center and in the province of Punjab.

As the press conference ended, Hussain quipped: “What is the price of tomatoes today?”

Rehman replied, “Rs400 per kg.”