Fazl wants fresh opposition charter

PML-N team led by Shehbaz calls on JUI-F chief to address his reservations

ISLAMABAD:

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday set his conditions for a united front against the PTI-led federal government -- including the opposition parties penning down their agenda in the form of a charter – as a PML-N delegation led by its president Shehbaz Sharif met the firebrand cleric at his residence in Islamabad to address his reservations.

The Maulana has also demanded the inclusion of PML-N Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Rahbar Committee, which comprises senior leaders of opposition parties, to make it more effective.

Shehbaz and Fazl later told reporters that they had agreed on launching an anti-government movement but they would announce a joint course of action in the next few days as the opposition parties still had to iron out their differences.

The Maulana has been at odds with the PML-N and the PPP for supporting the government’s legislation in parliament and criticised them for “going back on their own words”.

Shehbaz, who is the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, called on the JUI-F accompanied by senior party leaders Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq.

JUI-F leaders Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Asad Mehmood and Salahuddin Ayubi were also present in the meeting with the PML-N leaders.

The JUI-F chief informed the other side about his reservations over the PML-N and the PPP’s approach towards launching an anti-government campaign.

He stressed the need for chalking out a charter, similar to the Charter of Democracy inked by the PPP and the PML-N in 2006, to ensure that the opposition parties worked towards the same goals and abided by the agreement.

The two sides discussed several issues including the rising inflation, the flour and sugar crises and fuel price hike. They also took up the issue of convening the opposition’s all-party conference (APC).

Speaking to the media together after the meeting, Shehbaz and Fazl said they would bring together all political parties, whether they were inside or outside parliament.

The PML-N president said a course of action would be announced in the next few days.

“We had a good conversation. We will sit together with other opposition parties and take this process of consultation forward,” he added.

Fazl said there was an agreement on a movement against the government but it is necessary to talk about its “procedure”.

“The current situation demands that we remove mutual reservations,” he added. “The division of the opposition is not in the country’s interest. We had called a meeting of the smaller opposition parties, which has been postponed for a few days because of the death of Mir Hasil Bizenjo”

The JUI-F chief said the opposition would formulate a joint and stable strategy and there would be an APC wherein decisions would be made in the presence of all parties.

Shehbaz said Prime Minister Imran Khan had been declared “man of the year” on the basis of his “incompetence".

Power plants producing thousands of megawatts were installed under the leadership of former premier Nawaz Sharif, he maintained.

 “We ended load shedding but today it is happening again,” Did the Chinese scandal happen in our time? Was there a shortage of wheat in our time?”