ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Tuesday advised the government not to obstruct the PTI long march heading towards Islamabad, as protests were a democratic right enjoyed by all political parties. Speaking to the media alongside opposition leaders outside his residence, the JUI-F leader also urged the government to trust the PTI’s intention regarding a peaceful protest. When political parties say they will remain peaceful, their word should be trusted, he said in a comment on measures taken by the government to stop the PTI protesters from entering the federal capital. A delegation of opposition parties, including Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Asad Qaiser, Akhundzada Hussain, Salman Akram Raja and other leaders, arrived at Maulana’s residence, while the JUI-F side included Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Senator Kamran Murtaza and other party leaders. The JUI-F leader claimed that the dialogue between the government and the opposition could have been successful if ‘behind-the-scenes forces’ had not participated in the process. According to the veteran politician, any dialogue required mutual give-and-take to move forward. Maulana Fazl said democratic and political forces believe in dialogue, adding that the opposition parties held consultations in parliament but the attitude of those in power towards the opposition was visible to all. Without naming the cabinet members who questioned the loyalty of the PTI members towards the country, Maulana Fazl said, “We are all Pakistanis, and we are all patriots. We stand with the Constitution and the state. Nobody’s loyalty to the country is in doubt and there should be balance in the country’s political landscape.” The JUI-F chief said he received an invitation from the delegation of the opposition parties to participate in the multi-party conference. “We asked the opposition to consider this in detail, and we, too, will consider it within our party,” he said, adding that a joint agenda should emerge through the consultation of all parties. Maulana Fazl also countered the talks of an anti-terrorism operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying operations had been conducted from Swat to Waziristan, but the people there had not been able to return to their homes due to unrest. He said the provincial government in KP had been paralysed due to ongoing lawlessness, adding that the situation in the province continued to deteriorate. “How long will we continue to conduct operations on the pretext of fighting terrorism?” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said that the delegation arrived at Maulana’s residence soon after he returned from Umrah to congratulate him and invite him to participate in the conference. “We are all children of Pakistan; we cannot remain indifferent to the difficulties facing this country. The situation in Pakistan is deteriorating day by day,” he said. He added that the opposition sought a consensus-based agenda, since an agenda formulated through consultation would contain solutions to the problems facing the entire country.He said extremist tendencies flourish where the political process is halted and added that Maulana Fazl rejected the imposition of the governor’s rule and a state of emergency in KP. Salman Akram Raja, PTI secretary general, said that a rift has been created between the public and the state through coercion. “The struggle of Imran Khan is a fight for the Constitution and the rule of law. We will win this fight,” he added. Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026