JUI-F denies reports of meeting with Imran

Spokesperson says JUI-F is and will remain in contact with the opposition party

ISLAMABAD:

The JUI-F on Saturday firmly rejected media reports suggesting that the party, led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had decided to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.

A spokesperson for the JUI-F dismissed the reports as rumours and clarified that Senator Kamran Murtaza had not been assigned any special task in this regard.

He further clarified that while the JUI-F was not involved in any meeting with PTI leadership in jail, they still maintained that "there should be a fair trial in cases filed against the PTI founder."

"We are and will remain in contact with the PTI as an opposition party," he said, adding that meetings and consultations with PTI leadership on various issues would continue.

Earlier, reports circulating in certain sections of the media suggested that, following behind-the-scenes contacts, the JUI-F leadership planned to meet the jailed PTI founder.

The reports claimed that Senator Kamran Murtaza, upon receiving approval from the court, would meet Imran Khan in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

The purported meeting was said to involve discussions on strategies to challenge the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government.

Last week, rumours about a potential political alliance between JUI-F and PTI against the coalition government had surfaced. In response to these speculations, JUI-F leader Murtaza clarified that any decision to join forces with PTI for protests was "premature".

"There is no final decision on protesting alongside the PTI at this stage," he stated.

Murtaza also revealed that PTI leaders had recently sent a goodwill message from Imran Khan to the JUI-F chief.

The message, according to Murtaza, included "well wishes" for Maulana Fazlur Rehman and sought to clarify that accusations of betrayal related to the constitutional amendment were "not directed at Maulana"