Eve of Kashmir Day: PDM considering changing venue of protest rally

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is deliberating upon a proposal to change the venue of its protest rally from Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh to Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on the eve of Kashmir Day on February 5.

Mohammad Aslam Ghouri, spokesperson for Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PDM president and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, told Business Recorder that a proposal has been floated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to change the venue of the forthcoming rally on February 5 to Muzaffarabad instead of Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh.

“The proposal is being under discussion and no final decision has yet been taken on changing the venue,” Ghouri said while contradicting certain media reports that the venue of the protest rally has been changed.

The change in venue from Rawalpindi to Muzaffarabad was decided, reportedly following telephonic conversation between PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman without giving details of the reasons behind moving the venue to the AJK.

To a question, the JUI-F chief’s spokesperson said the PML-N floated the proposal on the grounds that “since the rally is being held in solidarity with the Kashmiri people that’s why it should be moved to Muzaffarabad.”

A delegation of senior PML-N leaders including AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also had a meeting with PDM chief following the telephonic conversation between Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Maulana had earlier announced that the PDM would hold a Kashmir Day rally in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people, as the day would be marked as Kashmir Day.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021