JUIF tight-lipped about talks with Akhunzada

PESHAWAR: Though Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has called on Taliban supreme leader Maulvi Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada in Kandahar, but the JUIF remained tight-lipped about what they discussed in their highly crucial meeting, according to sources close to him.

The Maulana Fazl-led delegation is likely to conclude the visit and return home today (Friday). There were rumours in Afghanistan that Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada had refused to meet a delegation of the Pakistani ulema, led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman. However, according to members of the delegation, Maulana Fazlur Rahman was taken to Kandahar, where the Taliban supremo is based, to meet the Taliban leader. “He told us that he had held a detailed and fruitful meeting with Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada and discussed multiple issues but Maulana sahib avoided sharing details of the discussion with the Taliban supermen leader,” said a member of the delegation.

Pleading anonymity, he said that none of the delegation members accompanied Maulana Fazlur Rahman in his meeting with the Taliban leader in Kandahar. “Maulana sahib (Fazlur Rahman) was taken alone to Kandahar for the meeting. Well, all of us had a great desire for this important meeting with Sheikh Haibatullah, but we had to obey what our elders wanted us to do,” said a noted religious scholar and member of the delegation. He said they realized from the reaction of Maulana Fazlur Rahman that his interaction with the Taliban’s top leader was fruitful.

“Maulana sahib is otherwise quite an easy person and never hides things. But since this is a very sensitive subject, therefore, he didn’t share anything with members of his delegation,” said the JUIF chief’s close aide. About their talks with the Pakistani Taliban, members of the delegation told The News that individually some of them met them but so far they didn’t hold any official meeting with them.

“Since some members of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban have studied in madaris in Pakistan where some members of the delegation were their teachers, therefore, they came to visit their teachers whom they met after a long time. However, there has been no official meeting with them but before leaving for Pakistan, Maulana Fazlur Rahman and his colleagues are expected to meet with some representatives of the Pakistani Taliban,” he explained.

Senior members of the Afghan Taliban confirmed Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s meeting with Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid neither confirmed nor denied their meeting.