PTI, JUI-F join forces against rushed bills

Maulana, Qaiser slam govt's 'self-serving' laws

ISLAMABAD:

The PTI and JUI-F leaders sat together on Tuesday to strategize about the way the PML-N-led ruling coalition hurriedly passed six bills from the Parliament a day ago but fell short of finalising anything concrete.

The gathering saw JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI leader Asad Qaiser, among others, united in denouncing what they called a legislative steamroll.

Both parties "rejected" the recently passed bills and deliberated on a strategy to keep the government on its toes, both inside and outside Parliament.

On Monday, the PML-N-led ruling alliance extended the army chief's tenure from three to five years and doubled the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 34.

The PTI and JUIF leaders said that both the parties along with other opposition parties would continue to strive against the government, slamming the ruling coalition's actions as undemocratic and authoritarian.

The details emerged after JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri talked to the media following the meeting, saying Maulana and PTI leaders view the move as a blatant extension of the government's own power.

"The government has not extended anyone else's term but its own," he said, alleging that the coalition's motives were purely self-serving.

In the post-meeting talk, Ghauri revealed that the opposition leaders discussed forging a united front against the ruling parties. "The government is intentionally provoking the opposition," he said, adding that PML-N and PPP's behaviour was far from the democratic norms.

Commenting on the government's way of passing crucial bills in a hurry, Ghauri said that the government has betrayed the recently passed 26th constitutional amendment as well as the constitution.

The ruling alliance along with JUI-F had passed the 26th constitutional amendment, which changed the process of selecting the top judge of the Supreme Court, among other things.

Ghauri said that the government has broken its promises and pushed fascism to its peak.

Responding to journalists' questions, Ghauri indicated that the unprecedented nature of the government's move could unify PTI and JUI-F in their fight for democracy. "We have seen no such actions in our history," Ghauri noted.

In addition, Ghauri said that Maulana has condemned the treatment being meted out to PTI's founding chairman Imran Khan, who is behind the bars and facing multiple cases. He revealed that Maulana has called the denial of basic facilities to Imran in jail an "injustice".

When pressed on whether PTI's chairman should be released, Ghauri stated if his release was justified on merit then it should be granted, adding endlessly stacking cases against him should be stopped now.

Meanwhile, Ghauri said that PTI leaders have conveyed to Maulana that Imran had lauded the role he played in the recent past.