Daily Times

SARGODHA: Pir of Sial Sharif Khawaja Hamiduddin Sialvi on Wednesday announced to end his support for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for not fulfilling the demand of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s resignation.

In a press conference in Sial Sharif, Pir Hamiduddin maintained that he had demanded the resignation of Rana Sanaullah over the minister’s controversial statement which he did not tender until the given deadline, so he and his followers will not support PML-N in the next general elections and the legislators associated with Sial Sharif Shrine will also tender their resignations. PML-N leader Zaeem Qadri had assured Pir Sialvi that Rana Sanaullah will come and offer an explanation regarding his controversial statement and will resign at a November 28 meeting. Qadri had called on Pir Sialvi on behalf of the government so as to resolve the issue. However, instead of offering a sympathetic ear, Pir Sialvi made it clear to Qadri that the resignations would only be reviewed if Sanaullah resigns and seeks a pardon for his statements.

Pir Sialvi gave a deadline of three days to the government to decide on the matter, failing which, Sialvi said, he would march on Lahore. The resignations come in the wake a sit-in that paralyzed the federal government for 20 days and ended after a botched crackdown and an agreement between the government and a religious party.

Law minister Zahid Hamid also had to resign on the demands of the protesters who came to Islamabad against a change in an electoral law related to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat. The change, which was termed by the government as a clerical mistake, was rectified through an amendment before the sit-in at Faizabad was staged by the activists of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah.

Published in Daily Times, December 7^th 2017.