Did not want to come to the press conference, says Fazl

ISLAMABAD; JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Tuesday that he did not want to address the press conference after the PDM held its important meeting to deliberate on the long march.

The PDM president and JUI-F leader abruptly left after issuing an opening statement at the press conference. He was flanked by PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.

“I did not want to come to the press conference,” Fazlur Rahman said later, adding that other PDM members had insisted that he address the press briefing, according to Geo News.

“I made the announcement and left. What else could I have said?” Fazl questioned.

The 10-party alliance had previously announced March 26 as the date to hold their anti-government long march. However, the PDM announced it had delayed its march after the PPP refused to resign from the national and provincial assemblies.

According to reports, a heated exchange took place between Maryam Nawaz and Zardari, after the latter said, during a meeting of the opposition parties, that PML-N supremo should come back to the country to lead the struggle against the government.

Maryam later addressed that in the press conference, saying that to bring Nawaz back to the country would be like handing him over to his ‘killers’.