ISLAMABAD - Kashmir Committee Chairman and Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has termed the long march call from Tahirul Qadri a conspiracy and blackmailing tactic to derail democracy, saying its hype will fizzle out soon.He was talking to The Nation by phone on Tuesday evening. “This is not something new. We have heard such countless calls before and have also seen how they ended up,” he said, referring to Qadri’s long march scheduled on January 14, being held on the pretext of reforming the system and ridding it of the ‘corrupt’ rulers. “The hype will fizzle out soon in due course of time, let us just wait and see,” he said.Discussing Dr Tahirul Qadri’s motives, Maulana questioned the sincerity of his intentions. “At a time when the elections are around the corner, what is the purpose behind making demands such as postponing the polls? It is a blackmailing tactic, a conspiracy to wrap up the system,” he said, adding the only way to create stability was free and fair elections.“The democratic transition through free and fair polls is the only way forward. The fate of nations cannot be changed by intimidating and blackmailing tactics,” Fazl further said. “It needs to be found out whose agenda Qadri serves. When all the political parties want elections, he demands the polls’ postponement based on far-fetched and evasive notions,” he regretted.Tehreek-e-Minhaj-ul-Quran Chairman Tahirul Qadri arrived in Pakistan from Canada last month to launch “Siasat Nahin, Riasat Bachao” (save state, not politics) movement at a huge public meeting in Lahore. Qadri demands postponement of the general polls till electoral reforms by January 14, failing which he warns of launching a long march from Lahore to Islamabad on the given date. Having seemingly created panic among the political circles, the long march announcement has been categorically condemned by some ruling and most of the opposition parties. Generally, political circles, including JUI-F, accuse Qadri of staging a drama for getting a role in the caretaker setup. “If he wants a role in the caretaker arrangement, there are democratic ways to put up this demand, instead of staging a bizarre drama. He should wait till the present assemblies meet their term. Like always, there has been a stark contradiction in what Qadri says and what he preaches. He is out to change the system but stands by the forces of status quo. This has exposed his double standards,” Fazl referred to the support extended to Dr Qadri’s long march by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q). “You cannot kill two birds with one stone. You have to be either on one side or the other. It is not possible to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds,” he said.Further slamming Dr Tahirul Qadri for having Canadian nationality, the JUI-F chief said the electoral provisions did not allow dual-nationals to do politics. “Not only parliamentarians but also politicians are also barred from doing politics if they have dual nationality, under the existing electoral laws of Pakistan. If he is so sincere with the masses, he should give up Canadian nationality,” Fazl added. Earlier, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, chairing a meeting of the Parliament’s Special Committee on Kashmir, said the committee had already announced that it did not have any objection to the grant of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India provided that Pakistan’s economic interests were sufficiently protected.The meeting discussed the incident of the unprovoked firing by the Indian troops on the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday, resulting in the killing of a Pakistani soldier. The officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) who attended the meeting explained that the Indian deputy high commissioner in Pakistan was summoned after the incident and a strong protest lodged with him. The Indian authorities have ensured to look into the matter and take measures for avoiding such happenings in future, the MOFA officials said. “The misunderstandings between Pakistan and India should be eradicated so as to avoid incidents of violence. Mutual cooperation is in the interests of the two states and we hope that both sides will take steps for ironing out differences,” Fazl-ur-Rehman told this scribe.The committee also discussed arrangements regarding the Solidarity Day to be celebrated on the coming February 5.