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by IANS |
New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) Rejecting the government's criticism of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) decision to hold a long march on the Pakistan Day, the eight-party opposition alliance has vowed to reach Islamabad on March 23 and warned the authorities against any attempt to use force to prevent the marchers from entering the federal capital, Dawn reported.
"So far, we have decided to reach Islamabad. The duration of the stay will be decided (by the leadership) after reaching the capital," PDM spokesman Hafiz Hamdullah said at a news conference after a meeting of the steering committee of the alliance on Tuesday.
Responding to a question about the venue of their protest march, Hamdullah claimed that millions of people from across the country would participate in the long march against price hike and turn the twin cities into D-Chowk, the place where the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had staged a 126-day sit-in while in the opposition in 2014, the report said.
When a reporter pointed out that every year the army took over most parts of the capital ahead of March 23 military parade and, therefore, there could be a possibility of a confrontation, Hamdullah, who is also a senior member of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), said the government would be responsible for any untoward happening. "We will come. Stop us Asad Umer, if you can," he said while referring to a statement by the minister for planning and development that the opposition would receive a bashing if it held a long march, the report added.
