Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Sunday said the federal government would create no hurdles in the Pakistan Peoples Party long march to Islamabad which began from Karachi earlier in the day with an aim to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan and hold fair elections.

“They [opposition leaders] are coming to Islamabad in 10 days, it is only 10 days’ drama, one day has passed and only nine are left," he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

The minister said the Sindh ruling party had discussed the long march with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and the provincial government had decided to create no hurdles in it as everyone had the right to stage a protest.

Earlier in the day, the PPP commenced its anti-government ‘Awami Long March’ headed by party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari from Karachi. The participants of the long march thronged the Quaid’s mausoleum and started the protest from the city to reach Islamabad within 10 days.

The party had earlier announced its decision to conduct the long march to protest against the inflation, hike in petroleum products prices and "other measures" taken by the PTI-led government.

Addressing the rally before the commencement of the long march, Bilawal alleged that three years of the incumbent government in power forced Karachi's people to protest, adding that the "incompetent" prime minister had "plundered" the rights of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Bilawal further claimed that if PM Imran was ousted then all the provinces would get their due share and "now is the time for us to bring a no-confidence motion."

Criticising the opposition's no-trust motion against PM Imran, Rashid claimed that a deadlock had occurred in the move as opposition parties did not have trust in each other, adding that the government had full confidence in its allies. "The opposition will face a failure."

The interior minister while addressing a presser in the CM Punjab's office on Saturday said the opposition should not underestimate the premier as the latter was "very well aware" of the prevailing situation and knew what decisions should be taken during such a circumstance.

The coalition of PML-N, PPP, and JUI has recently tasked PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to deal with the government's allies regarding the matter, he claimed. "Nawaz Sharif has assigned horse-trading task to Zardari," Rashid said, "PM Imran would get even stronger after the failure of the no-trust motion."