Venue decided: Fazl to woo MQM leaders at Nine-Zero tomorrow

KARACHI: Chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman is set to meet with a delegation of disgruntled Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders at their headquarters Nine-Zero here on Tuesday.

Sources on Monday told Geo News that dispute regarding venue and timing of the meeting has been resolved and the JUI-F chief, accompanied by his party leader Akram Durrani, would soon land at the Karachi airport.

MQM’s Parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar and MNA Kunwar Naveed among other leaders are likely to attend the meeting, in which Maulana Fazl being tasked by the government, would woo MQM lawmakers to withdraw their resignations from the assemblies.

Last week, lawmakers belonging to MQM tendered their resignations after expressing reservations on the ongoing operation against criminals and terrorists in Karachi. They say that the operation, being carried out by Rangers and Police, is directed towards their party rather than criminal elements.

The JUI-F chief has already succeeded in breaking the ice between the MQM and the PML-N government by bringing the former to the dialogue table without any strings attached. He has also persuaded the federal government to set up a monitoring committee to keep tabs on the Karachi operation.

Maulana Fazl also held a telephonic conversation with self-exiled MQM Chief Altaf Hussain and convinced him to engage in an unconditional dialogue.

Speaking to Geo News, Altaf Hussain had said the matter of returning to the parliament would be decided by MQM’s Rabita (coordination) Committee.

It is also pertinent to note here that Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has decided to meet each resigning member of the MQM separately while the legal wing of the lower house is also set to forward its opinion on the issue to the speaker within a next couple of days.

‘100pc hopeful’ Fazl arrives in Karachi

Speaking to the media after landing in the port city, Maulana Fazl said he has arrived here with ‘100 per cent hope of holding a successful dialogue with MQM’. “I wouldn’t be in Karachi if I wasn’t hopeful of achieving success,” he added.

The JUI-F chief further said he has made it clear to the MQM that no preconditions would be set before the scheduled talks, adding that the latter has accepted this condition.

Commenting on Karachi operation, he said citizens of the Sindh capital feel safer amidst action of law enforcers against miscreants. “MQM is aware of this as well,” he added.

The JUI-F went on to say that Altaf Hussain was not against the operation.