Prime Minister wants to guide JUI-F chief: Shahbaz Sharif

Prime Minister wants to guide JUI-F chief: Shahbaz Sharif

Expressing his desire to work again with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that he wants the JUI-F chief's guidance 'once again', ARY News reported citing sources. Sources privy to the development said that the Pakistan Prime Minister visited Maulana Fazlur Rehman's residence in Islamabad and expressed his desire to work together with the JUI-F.

"We want to work together again, as we did before," PM Shahbaz Sharif was quoted as saying. "We request you to guide us once again," he added. However, the JUI-F chief responded by saying that his party's stand remains unchanged. "We are where we were before, you have changed your path," the JUI-F chief said. JUI-F sources claimed that the party has sent a very clear message to the prime minister.

Citing sources, ARY News reported that PM Shehbaz Sharif enquired about the health and well-being of Maulana Fazlur Rehman during the cordial meeting. It is important to remember that President Asif Ali Zardari also held a meeting with the JUI-F leader on August 24. These two high-level meetings took place after a delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met Maulana Fazlur Rehman. On August 23, a delegation of PTI met Maulana Fazlur Rehman once again seeking cooperation. Both parties are considering to end the differences and explore possibilities of cooperation amid the turbulent political scenario in the country. During the meeting, the formation of committees to facilitate joint efforts was discussed.

Imran Khan's party reportedly requested internal cooperation within the parliament, expressing its stance that if the two parties work together they can give the government a tough time. Ahead of the 2024 general elections, Fazl was one of the closest allies of the PML-N and the PPP, who led the multi-party opposition alliance - the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) - that successfully removed former Prime Minister Imran Khan from office through a no-confidence motion in 2022.