PPP, PML-N to stay away from sit-in.

Byline: Amir Wasim

ISLAMABAD -- Sticking to their earlier stance, the country's two major opposition parties - the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - on Friday announced they would not become a part of the sit-in announced by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the big public rally.

The leaders and office-bearers of the two parties said they had already told the Maulana in categorical terms that they would only attend the public meeting and would not support any sit-in.

Read: In letter to Shahbaz, Nawaz tells PML-N to 'ensure Azadi March is a success'

They said they had not issued any specific directives to their workers and activists regarding participation in the sit-in.

'We came only for one day,' said PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal while talking to Dawn.

Mr Iqbal, who also addressed the Azadi march participants with PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, said even party's supreme leader Nawaz Sharif had asked them to participate in the Azadi march for one day only.

Nawaz Sharif asked his party's leaders to attend Azadi march just for one day, says Ahsan Iqbal

Mr Iqbal, who was preparing to go to the residence of Maulana Fazl for a meeting of the heads of the opposition parties, said the PML-N workers had participated in the Azadi march and the public meeting with full enthusiasm. However, he said, the party had not given any call for a sit-in to its workers.

Similarly, PPP secretary general Farhatullah Khan Babar said his party leadership had made it clear during the multi-party conferences (MPCs) and the meetings of the Rehbar Committee that his party would not take part in an 'indefinite dharna (sit-in).'

When told that so far it was only a two-day sit-in, Mr Babar said he could not make a comment on the matter as he was not aware of the step that would be taken by the JUI-F after expiry of the two-day deadline set by the Maulana for the resignation of Prime...