KARACHI : Pakistan Qaumi Movement (PQM) on Wednesday announced to postpone the Istehkam-e-Pakistan rally, scheduled to be held on January 21, after the arrest of its Chairman Iqbal Kazmi. PQM general sectary made this announcement while talking to the media men.

He said the story circulating in the media that PQM had cancelled its rally was baseless. “We have only postponed the event due to various reasons that include arrest of Kazmi and also because the authorities did not grant us the permission to hold the rally.  “PQM will announce its future stance after the release of party chairman,” he clarified.

He said that holding public gatherings and rallies were the democratic right of political parties, but it was unfortunate that obstacles were being created in the way of PQM’s rally.

“We are raising slogans for the prosperity and progress of the country, but undemocratic acts are being practiced against the party,” he complained.

PQM had invited various political parties to attend the rally, including MQM-London. “We are not afraid of arrests and prisons. We still stick to our stance and will not tolerate an undemocratic move,” PQM leader threatened.

To a question he said that PQM believed in the unity of nation, and it had also planned to hold rallies in Punjab, KP and Balochistan. He said that the party had moved a petition in the SHC after the authorities refused to give the rally a legal cover and the court will review it on February 7.