Demands Ignored, Long March from Quetta to Islamabad to Be Launched Again: Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman

**Quetta:** Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan and Member of the Balochistan Assembly, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch, has warned that if the government fails to implement agreed demands, a fresh long march from Quetta to Islamabad will be launched. He strongly condemned the postponement of local government elections, calling it an attack on democracy.

Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said that suspending the local government elections despite complete preparations was highly condemnable. He announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would hold a protest demonstration against the postponement of the local body elections in front of the Quetta Press Club on December 28. Party leaders including Zahid Akhtar Baloch, Abdul Naim Rind, Hafiz Noor Ali, Jameel Mashwani, Murtaaza Khan Kakar, Abdul Wali Shakir and others were also present on the occasion.

He said that local government elections were due three years ago, and if held, the local government system would have received financial powers to address grassroots issues. However, the elections were suspended at the final stage, which he termed unjustified. He criticized the role of courts and judges, alleging that historically they have supported dictators rather than democracy, and claimed that ruling political parties are heirs to authoritarian legacies. He further alleged that a handful of families dominate politics, the military, bureaucracy, and judiciary in the country.

Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman recalled that on July 25, a long march toward Islamabad was launched in support of eight key demands, including the recovery of missing persons, an end to enforced disappearances, release of political workers, restoration of law and order, making highways safe for travel, withdrawal of FC from Balochistan, reopening borders from Chaman to Gwadar and Taftan, provision of employment opportunities, elimination of trailer and land mafia, protection of mineral resources, action against death squads, kidnappers, drug dealers and extortionists, transparency in Reko Diq, Gwadar and CPEC projects, and the release of detained leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.

He said that during negotiations in Lahore, a written agreement was signed with the government, promising resolution of issues within six months through the formation of a committee. However, he alleged that the government has failed to form the committee so far and is deliberately delaying the process.

Concluding his remarks, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said that if the written agreement continues to be violated and demands remain unmet even after the completion of the six-month period, Jamaat-e-Islami will once again mobilize the people and launch a renewed long march from Quetta to Islamabad.