[Azadi] march madness: 2 days to go

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is not backing down and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek will accompany its supporters in their march on Islamabad. This happens as the prime minister has called out to his opponents asking who’s putting them up to the task of bringing down an elected government. The stock market is on a downward spiral and word on the street says the capital may be sealed by tonight. The military is also taking stock of the situation and allegations among parties are taking on unsavoury proportions. From rigging allegations to intimations of collusion in an alleged establishment-driven plot to bring down Nawaz Sharif's government, are things finally coming to a head? With each passing day, there are less answers that help and more questions that need tackling. Has the PTI made a mistake by welcoming Tahirul Qadri? Will Imran manage to attract some influential admirers? Will interlocutors save the day? And most importantly, what will the prime minister say in his speech on Tuesday night? Below is a round-up of the day’s political happenings and statements which will be updated in the build-up to August 14. Saad Rafique challenges Imran Khan to contest polls after resignation Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique talking to media personnel in Lahore challenged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief to tender his reignation and cotest elections against him. He accused Imran Khan of being a 'master of U-turn' and said claimed that the country was suffering losses worth billions of ruppees daily due to the Long march call. He added that permission for the long march would be granted if Imran Khan could guarantee that the protests would remain peaceful and ensure disassociation with Tahirul Qadri. Putting Imran under house arrest would worsen situation: Khurshid Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah said the situation in the country might turn for the worse in case the government was advised to put PTI chief Imran Khan under house arrest. Speaking to media representatives in Islamabad, Shah said Imran’s demand for re-election was incomprehensible as these would have to be conducted by the same election commission which had conducted the polls in May 2013. The veteran Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader added that Dr Tahirul Qadri was creating problems for himself through his statements. Shah said that the Pakistan Awami tehreek (PAT) chief’s statement of bloodshed could worsen the situated and added that if the statements were meant as a joke then a joke of this nature could prove harmful. Govt's undemocratic steps can lead to undemocratic consequences: Altaf Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain warned the government on Tuesday against taking any undemocratic steps saying it could lead to undemocratic consequences. He added that aid from the party was not being allowed to reach the PAT workers at the Minhajul Quran secretariat in Lahore's Model Town area. Hussain said MQM's future course of action would be announced if the government continued to block its aid to reach the Minhajul Quran secretariat. Airing his anger at the government, Hussain questioned whether the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) wanted the MQM to take to the streets. The MQM chief also advised the government to study Newton's laws of physics, asking it to "avoid its undemocratic attitude", which he said was unacceptable. NA adopts resolution for safeguarding democracy The National Assembly adopted a resolution calling for safeguarding democracy in the country. The resolution, tabled by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), stated that democracy should be safeguarded in accordance with the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Stocks plummet over 450 points as fears grow over protests Stocks on Tuesday tumbled over 450 points at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) 100 index, sparked by fears of a political crisis as opposition figures called on supporters to join a march against the government on August 14, DawnNews reported. The KSE-100 index plunged by 450 points to 27,635 in the first 12 minutes of the morning trading session. Today's development comes a day after the stock market suffered its largest ever one-day drop in share prices with the KSE-100 index witnessing a free fall of 1,309.09 points, or 4.46 per cent. Qadri using students to 'shield' himself: Safron minister Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt Gen Retd Abdul Qadir Baloch said that Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri was using Minhajul Quran students to shield himself from the law. The Safron minister said that Dr Qadri speaks about revolution while rejecting the constitution. He further said that the aims of those holding 'Long marches' are unclear and Dr Qadri does consider Pakistani citizens as able enough to be told about his agenda. Islamabad may be sealed tonight The capital police are considering sealing Islamabad from Tuesday night. A police official requesting not to be identified told Dawn that from Tuesday night 70 per cent of each entry road to the capital would be closed and after that only light vehicles can enter the city. “It will become easy for the law enforcement agencies to check people entering the city,” he said. As many as 5,000 officials of the Punjab police, 1,000 from the AJK police and 3,000 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel will be deputed in the capital city to stop the participants of the march.