JUI-F dismisses rumours over Zardari-Fazl meeting

Spokesperson claims no political discussions took place during meeting

ISLAMABAD:

Reacting to swirling rumours about the recent meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri has strongly refuted the claims as "baseless".

"The news circulating on the media is unfounded," Ghauri asserted, clarifying that the meeting between President Zardari and Rehman was purely personal. He denied the rumours of political horse-trading or backroom deals. "No political discussions took place during the meeting.”

Ghauri further clarified that the JUI-F has a clear stance on the current political situation. "It seems that these baseless reports are being spread by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governor," the spokesperson claimed, accusing the governor of expressing his inner fears by propagating such rumours.

The clarification follows President Zardari's visit to Rehman's residence on Saturday, a meeting that had sparked widespread speculation amid the upcoming sessions of both houses of parliament.

Some political observers had linked the meeting to potential key legislation that the coalition government might introduce, but JUI-F has firmly denied any political undertones to the encounter.

In a separate statement, addressing the issue of Senate seats, Ghauri dismissed any talks between JUI-F and PTI on the matter. 

"There have been no negotiations with PTI regarding Senate seats," he stated. "This topic was never even discussed in the meetings of the negotiation committee or sub-committees."

He explained that the sub-committee meetings held recently focused on the daily affairs of the parliament. "Our interactions with PTI within the parliament are issue-to-issue based," Ghauri noted.

Taking a jab at K-P Governor Faisal Kundi, Ghauri remarked, "Governor Kundi needs to stop spitting at the sky while sitting on the ground," warning that if Kundi speaks beyond his political stature, he will face consequences. 

He further advised the governor to learn the decorum of communicating with the country’s president.