Fazl wants to unite opposition parties against govt

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has decided not to further show his grievances publicly against two mainstream political parties--Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-- with an aim to unite all opposition forces for massive anti-government movement in the coming months, sources told The News here on Sunday.

“JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman assured representatives of both the PML-N and PPP that he would not publicly criticise these parties but his grievances must be addressed by their respective leadership for a joint movement against Imran-led government,” the sources said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Maulana Fazlur Rehman in first week of this month decided to distance his party from opposition parties alliance led by the PML-N and PPP and formed a new opposition parties alliance comprising six parties.

The new alliance includes JUI-F, National Party, Jamaat Ahl-e-Hadees, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan.

The sources said PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq and PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf during their separate meetings with Maulana Fazlur Rehman few days back conveyed important messages of their respective leaderships to him, but he was of the view that both mainstream political parties ditched him badly when he was fully prepared for a final showdown in the capital city against the incumbent government.

They said Maulana Fazlur Rehman informed these representatives that his party would hold three public meetings (27th February in Karachi, March 7 in Bannu and March 19 in Lahore) in coordination with five other parties to mobilise the masses for anti-government movement.

The sources said as a result of these two meetings JUI-F is now all set to again bring together all opposition parties next month and evolve a joint strategy to get rid of the PTI-led government that according to it is pushing the country into the troubled waters.

They said JUI-F and PML-N are of the view that the joint opposition should utilise its energies to pave the way for fresh general elections before next Senate elections to be held next year in March.

“PML-N and JUI-F are not in favour of any in-house change and both these parties want fresh elections in the country. When opposition parties would sit together next month then it would be thoroughly discussed whether they should seek in-house change or demand fresh elections in the country,” the sources said.

Talking to The News, JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah said they had reservations about some policies of the PML-N and PPP, but now things are moving in the right direction due to which JUI-F chief has decided to again launch an aggressive drive in coordination with all the opposition parties to get rid of the Imran-led government.

“The senior members of PML-N and PPP met Maulana Fazlur Rehman a few days back and conveyed messages of their respective leaderships. Now we think that both mainstream political parties are ready for a final showdown against the incumbent government,” he said. To a question, he said first of all they demand fresh elections in the country but if other opposition parties evolve any strategy for in-house change then they can also support it.

He said no one is ready to give more time to this incompetent government so they would ponder over all the available options and prepare roadmap for a political change.

Replying to another question, he said, “June is so far away we will show our political strength in near future.”