ISLAMABAD: In a major move, prior to the elections of the Prime Minister scheduled on Sunday in the National Assembly (NA), Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif, Friday, visited Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.
The meeting underscored a dialogue between the two former coalition partners as they navigate the political landscape.
The JUI-F, a traditional ally of the PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has refused to vote for the prime minister, and president, and also abstained from voting in Friday’s National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker election.
Welcoming Nawaz Sharif along with other prominent members of the PML-N, including Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, and Rana Sanaullah, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman extended a warm reception along with other senior leaders of JUI including Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Ghulam Ali, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Noor Alam Khan.
Following the meeting, PML-N senior leader Rana Sanaullah told reporters that in the first session of the discussion, both parties discussed all political matters with regard to the situation that emerged following the February 8 general elections.
He further said that after delegation-level discussions, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and JUI chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman also engaged in a one-on-one meeting lasting for about an hour. The deliberations primarily centred on political matters, concluding with both leaders departing in an amiable mood.
While expressing his satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, Rana Sanaullah said, “We have endured challenging times together and have consistently sought guidance from Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman”. “Our association has weathered the storm during the PTI government, with Maulana’s support.”
Sanaullah emphasised the cordiality observed during the meeting, asserting that there was no animosity between the two parties. “Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman remains our beacon. Our earnest endeavour is to retain his counsel and ensure its efficacy,” he affirmed.
Dispelling speculation, Sanaullah clarified that Nawaz Sharif’s visit was not aimed at garnering votes from Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman but rather to deliberate on the nation’s prevailing political climate. He underscored mutual respect between the leaders, highlighting their willingness to consider each other’s perspectives.
Sanaullah also lauded Mahmood Khan Achakzai as a revered and patriotic figure, hinting at a potential engagement between PML-N and Achakzai.
“Have faith in Allah... [You will receive] good news,” PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique, who was part of the PML-N delegation, told a journalist after the meeting concluded.
Another senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that during the meeting Maulana and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif discussed all matters including the election results and the formation of the governments at centre and provincial levels. They said Maulana was not angry with the PML-N but with the outcome of the elections.
Earlier, Maulana had declared that his party will not participate in the election process for the National Assembly speaker, deputy speaker, and the prime minister. The JUI chief had categorically stated that the JUI-F would not participate in this parliament and sit on the opposition benches.
When asked how it felt coming to the assembly once again, the JUI-F chief said it was not an assembly, but something else. To another question, if his party would resort to a protest or a freedom march against the recent elections, he urged to “wait and watch”.
Talking to Business Recorder, JUI spokesperson and Additional Secretary General Aslam Ghauri said the JUI chief during the meeting told the PML-N supremo that his party has no personal matters with Nawaz Sharif or his party but has serious concerns with the system.
He said that during the meeting, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman expressed reservations, alleging electoral malpractice and the purported theft of JUI’s mandate. He said JUI has also expressed concerns over some forces’ efforts to control the democracy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024