Govt decides to approach Fazl directly for talks

Agrees to send PML-Q’s Shujaat Hussain, Pervaiz Ilahi to negotiate with JUI-F chief

ISLAMABAD: The PTI-led government’s negotiating team, headed by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, has decided to hold direct talks with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence on Monday (today) and not the opposition’s Rahbar Committee.

During a meeting of the negotiating team at the residence of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Sunday, the members agreed to take on board PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Ilahi in order to make the talks successful.

Besides Khattak and Sanjrani, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, PTI leader Asad Umar, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah, Special Assistant to the PM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz and Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood were in attendance.



Sanjrani and Qaiser had suggested to take on board the Chaudhry brothers to which the members of the negotiating team unanimously agreed.

Sanjrani said, “We should hold earnest negotiations with Maulana Fazl to resolve the issue. We should talk. Maulana Sahib is still following the agreement so we should talk to him. We should show patience.”

On the law and order situation, the interior minister said, “All [security] forces are ready if any untoward situation arises.”

The defence minister said, “We are always ready for negotiations.”



It was decided in the meeting that the doors to negotiations with the opposition would always remain open.

The meeting also discussed the future strategy of the government.

Earlier on Sunday, Chaudhry Hussain telephoned Fazl and congratulated him for “stealing the show” during the ‘Azadi March’. Fazl spoke little as he was addressing the Majlis-e-Shura when Hussain called. However, he invited Shujaat over at his house.

The PML-Q president urged Fazl to resolve matters with a reconciliatory approach. Hussain told Fazl that he was the son of a father who had political understanding. “Maulana Mufti Mehmood believed in resolving issues through reconciliation.