Federal Minister for Interior Brig (r) Ijaz Shah while addressing the media said that when the marchers reach Islamabad they will be provided safety and security.
“If they bring more people than expected, we will give them more space,” Shah told reporters, “We will make them feel comfortable, as comfortable as staying in a five star hotel.”
He also added that during negotiations the only point of discussion was the venue of the protest. The marchers, he said, demanded that the government let them enter D Chowk, “we said that it not possible.”
He added, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will have to abide by the the judgments of Supreme Court judge Qazi Faez Isa and the Islamabad High Court regarding the sit-in.
The federal minister said Maulana Fazl was allowed to march but he should respect the court decisions too.
Shah said the prime minister decided not to prevent the JUI-F from marching since he himself is a politician.
He conceded that political statements issued by both government and the opposition made the atmosphere tense.
Maulana Fazl, along with thousands of protesters have been camping near Gujar Khan, some 53 kilometers from the federal capital.
Fazl intends to enter Islamabad in his bid to de-seat Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The JUI-F backed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) started its Azadi March from Karachi on October 27.