Back in the fold: JUI-F offered to join Balochistan govt
The party’s core committee will convene on Sept 6 to decide the nature of coalition.
Jamiat Ulemae Islam - Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. PHOTO: EPA/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The provincial leadership of Balochistan met Jamiat Ulemae Islam - Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to offer his party a role in the provincial government on Wednesday.
The JUI-F has, meanwhile, summoned its core committee meeting on September 6 to deliberate on the offer extended by the provincial coalition, sources told The Express Tribune.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch accompanied by Senator Hasil Bizenjo met JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Ghafoor Haideri and Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani at parliament lodges on Wednesday.
“The delegation discussed the current political and security situation in the province with the JUI-F leadership,” said Jan Achakzai, the JUI-F chief’s spokesperson. He further said that the party’s core committee was holding its meeting to discuss the provincial political situation.
Sources in the party said that the leadership told the Balochistan chief minister that JUI-F was ready to serve any role it was assigned, in order to bring normalcy to the volatile province.
“JUI-F is ready to extend unconditional support to the administration even without a specific role in the provincial government,” said a JUI-F leader, privy to the meeting.
He said the party will bring its experience into play to control the local tribal leaders of the province who were always power hungry and did not let anyone take control of the situation.
He further stated that his party’s leadership had already conveyed to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leadership that Baloch chieftains will not accept a middle-class man as their chief minister.
“The JUI-F government in the past gave them the protocol and symbolic leadership they wanted, but kept government affairs in its own hands,” he remarked, adding that the chief minister and his colleagues had been advised to handle these tribal chiefs diplomatically in order to run the government without much interruption.
It was too early to say in what capacity the JUI-F would join the Balochistan government but an offer has been made and JUI-F has sought time to deliberate. He said the core committee would decide the nature of the coalition, in its upcoming meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2013.
The provincial leadership of Balochistan met Jamiat Ulemae Islam - Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to offer his party a role in the provincial government on Wednesday.
The JUI-F has, meanwhile, summoned its core committee meeting on September 6 to deliberate on the offer extended by the provincial coalition, sources told The Express Tribune.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch accompanied by Senator Hasil Bizenjo met JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Ghafoor Haideri and Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani at parliament lodges on Wednesday.
“The delegation discussed the current political and security situation in the province with the JUI-F leadership,” said Jan Achakzai, the JUI-F chief’s spokesperson. He further said that the party’s core committee was holding its meeting to discuss the provincial political situation.
Sources in the party said that the leadership told the Balochistan chief minister that JUI-F was ready to serve any role it was assigned, in order to bring normalcy to the volatile province.
“JUI-F is ready to extend unconditional support to the administration even without a specific role in the provincial government,” said a JUI-F leader, privy to the meeting.
He said the party will bring its experience into play to control the local tribal leaders of the province who were always power hungry and did not let anyone take control of the situation.
He further stated that his party’s leadership had already conveyed to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leadership that Baloch chieftains will not accept a middle-class man as their chief minister.
“The JUI-F government in the past gave them the protocol and symbolic leadership they wanted, but kept government affairs in its own hands,” he remarked, adding that the chief minister and his colleagues had been advised to handle these tribal chiefs diplomatically in order to run the government without much interruption.
It was too early to say in what capacity the JUI-F would join the Balochistan government but an offer has been made and JUI-F has sought time to deliberate. He said the core committee would decide the nature of the coalition, in its upcoming meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2013.