ISLAMABAD: Amid rising tensions between the government and the main opposition party, PTI, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday, seeking his support and urging him not to participate in any agitation against the government.
During the meeting, PM Shehbaz assured Maulana Rehman that all of his concerns would be addressed. This visit followed earlier meetings by President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi with the JUI-F chief.
A PTI delegation, including the party’s chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser, Shibli Faraz, and Raoof Hasan, also met with Maulana Rehman days earlier. After the meeting, PTI leader Zain Qureshi stated that Maulana Rehman had requested two Senate seats from PTI.
These meetings occurred amid PTI’s call for a public gathering in Islamabad on September 8 and the ongoing terrorism incidents in Balochistan, where JUI-F holds significant influence. Additionally, they come ahead of the upcoming parliamentary sessions, leading to speculation that the coalition government may introduce key legislation.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Maulana Rehman welcomed PM Shehbaz, who expressed his best wishes for the JUI-F chief. They discussed the country’s overall political situation, with PM Shehbaz accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
Sources indicated that the prime minister urged Maulana Rehman to avoid participating in PTI’s planned public meeting on September 8, following a previously cancelled PTI gathering on August 22. Information Minister Tarar later described the meeting as cordial, emphasizing that PM Shehbaz did not ask Maulana Rehman to soften his stance against the government or to join it.
JUI-F later issued a statement confirming the discussions about the political situation in the country.
Earlier, President Zardari, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, visited Maulana Rehman a day after reports suggested that the JUI-F chief had agreed with PTI to form a joint strategy to challenge the government in parliament. Political analysts view these meetings as significant, potentially linked to the upcoming National Assembly and Senate sessions, with suggestions that the government may be planning to introduce important legislation or extend the tenure of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire in October.
