PML-N, JUI-F agree to cement alliance

Shehbaz, Fazl hold talks amid poll date dispute

ISLAMABAD:

In a bid to maintain their alliance, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have agreed to move forward through consultation and cooperation, despite their recent quarrel over the date of the next general elections.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif hosted a meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the JUI-F chief and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief, at his residence.

The meeting came as speculation had been rife that the two former coalition partners were at odds over the timing of the upcoming polls.

Just a day before the meeting, Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and PML-N for their approval of the new census results in a cabinet meeting. He argued that now, as new constituencies were being demarcated based on these results, the two parties were eager for immediate elections.

The JUI-F leader also objected to conducting the general elections in January, citing the extreme cold weather in the northern regions of the country. He expressed concern that voters would face difficulties reaching polling stations in such harsh conditions.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the current political situation and exchanged views on the importance of transparent, free, and fair elections. They stressed the need for unity in order to overcome the crises facing the nation, all while affirming their commitment to consultation and cooperation.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed good wishes for the return of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif to the country.

Shehbaz Sharif, during the conversation, acknowledged the cooperation provided by the Maulana in saving Pakistan from a sovereign default.

He highlighted that the political parties did not just think about their politics during the last 16 months but aimed to save the state, saying that Pakistan can emerge from crises through unity, consultation, and shared action.

The PML-N president stated that after Nawaz Sharif's return, the political and democratic system of the country would become stronger.

Fazlur Rehman mentioned that Nawaz Sharif's return is good news for Pakistan, and the truth is now revealed that the three-time prime minister was targeted for political revenge.

He said that the former premier and his family were unjustly persecuted, and this dark and regrettable chapter will remain a black mark in the country’s history.

He said that Nawaz Sharif had accepted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) mandate in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but was ousted from the political system. Labelling political leaders as criminals was a game of political engineering, he added.

The meeting was also attended by PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, former National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar.