JUI-F plans to build bigger alliance by contacting other parties including PML-N PHOTO: ONLINE
Failing to form an electoral alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) is now going to hold negotiations with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), The Express Tribune learnt on Thursday.
Sources claimed both JUI-F and PML-N will enter negotiations this coming Saturday.
JUI-F spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan confirmed talks with PPP had been terminated and criticised the latter saying: “PPP leaders do not have the required power to progress further and hence there was no result.”
Earlier, both the PPP and JUI-F were engaged in dialogue regarding seat adjustments and were close to chalking out an understanding based on a 50-50 formula in the provincial and national assembly seats. However, PPP leaders refused to progress with the deal, taking into account their position in the 2008 general elections.
Confirming reports about contacting PML-N’s leadership in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Jan said a meeting was going to be held within a couple of days on matters concerning the upcoming elections in the region.
Jan said the JUI-F would be represented by himself, Akram Khan Durrani, Attaur Rahman and certain other leaders in the meeting with PML-N.
Earlier, a meeting was held in Lahore between Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rahman last month, the result of which was a possible partnership in K-P, sources informed.
PML-N provincial General Secretary Rahmat Salam Khattak also confirmed meeting JUI-F’s leadership, saying a seven-member committee comprising Pir Sabir Shah, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Amir Muqan, Farid Toofan and Khattak himself has been formed to meet JUI-F leaders in Peshawar on March 16.
He added a meeting is also scheduled with Jamaat-e-Islami leadership for the same day.
Replying to a question, Khattak said nobody was willing to make an alliance with the ruling parties. “Any partnership with the ruling parties is tantamount to taking their five years of failure on one’s own head.”
About the possible alliance with JUI-F, he said if both parties kept in mind ground realities and the country’s interest, nothing was impossible. However, he added they would face difficulties if party interests were given preference at the cost of national interest.
Despite the political vibrancy manifested in public meetings and announcements of electoral alliances by leaders, no formal partnership between parties has been announced for the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2013.
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