Rashid asks PDM to postpone long march for a few days.

ISLAMABAD -- Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has urged the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the alliance of 10 opposition parties, to postpone its planned long march for a few days due to the March 23 Pakistan Day parade in the federal capital.

'I have asked the PDM to postpone its long march for at least two to four days otherwise an awkward situation may arise as the army and the opposition would be on road in Islamabad at the same time,' he told Dawn when contacted after a press conference on Sunday.

He said the army was coming to the capital for annual Pakistan Day parade with extra units of troops and would stay there for four to five days.

The PDM has announced that it will stage a long march against the government on March 26 to seek resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan over 'unprecedented' inflation, joblessness and economic decline.

'Military troops come to Islamabad for the annual parade two days before March 23 parade, attend a dinner next day and their decamping takes two more days to return to their barracks. Therefore, I ask the PDM to shelve long march plan for a few days,' the minister said.

He said incidents of terrorism were resurfacing in the tribal areas of the country and therefore there was a high security alert in the federal capital too.

Replying to a question in the press conference, he said the government would not create any hurdle in the way of the long march. 'If they (PDM) do not create any law and order situation, we will facilitate them and provide them water and other facilities,' he said, adding that the opposition could stay in Islamabad...