PHOTO: INP/FILE
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has decided to join the federal government, seven months after elections in May, Express News reported on Wednesday.
At least two JUI-F members, Abbas Afridi and Akram Durrani will be taking oath as federal ministers at the Aiwan-e-Saddar on Thursday.
Express News correspondent Khalid Mehmood reported that JUI-F had been in negotiations with the government in centre ever since the elections last May.
Akram Khan Durrani had been nominated once as a federal minister but an official notification for his appointment was never issued.
Following further negotiations, it is expected that now been decided that Durrani will be appointed as a Federal Minister while Maulana Ghafoor Haideri (who hails from Balochistan) is expected to assume charge as a Minister of State. There was no announcement of the portfolios they will be accorded.
Khurram Dastagir, the incumbent Minister of State for Commerce and Textile Industry, is expected to take oath as a Federal Minister.
Long-drawn negotiations
JUI-F and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been inching closer to each other for some time now.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has more than once offered his services to the ruling party in the way of negotiating with Taliban.
A month after the general elections of 2013, Maulana Fazlur Rehman's party decided to support Nawaz Sharif in his election as Prime Minister.
The Maulana had said then:
“We are closer to PML-N ideologically. As a goodwill gesture we have decided to support PM-designate Nawaz Sharif in the vote of confidence.”
A couple of months later, the then president Asif Ali Zardari's nomination of Akram Durrani as federal minister hinted at a possible alignment with PML-N.
Fazl had laid down his conditions for becoming an ally of the PML-N government, but strongly dispelled the impression that his party was joining the PML-N led government for the sake of attaining ministries and privileges.
“These matters are not important for us,” he had said.
COMMENTS (22)
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Maulana intentionally delayed the decision to join the fed. govt. to give impression that they mean business and not inclined towards perks and previliges but it was written on the wall sooner or later the party will join hands with ruling party. If he does'nt join govt. surely will lose its already diminishing status in politics next time around. Smart Maulana isn't he?
When it comes to politics, JUI-F and MQM are two sides of the same coin.
The politics of principles. The principle is "loot and plunder".
He is a true politicians. I must give him credit for that.Do we have any comparative politician? All the previous govt's have been able to accommodate him as partner
Oh No....
LOL, I was waiting for this decision as this time Molana has shown the greatest patient for about 8 MONTHS spending without being in government and obviously this decision is for sake of betterment of nation and country :-P
Soon MQM will also "Finally" decide to join Gov. (for no reason)
Nawaz Sharif has sinister plans for KPK and Baluchistan!
Rex Minor
This man will sell anything to be part of government so that his clan can benefit from him. Shame on PML (N) as well to deal with opportunist like Fazul ur Rehman.
how he waited 7 months...He might have lost some weight
Molana cannot live without ministries just like fish cant survive out of water. Opportunists!
Credit goes to the visionary leadership of Nawaz Sharif! Bravo PML(N)!
aaaaaannd.. this guy is son of a mufti and proclaim that he and his party define Islam ! lol
After all Molana sb can not afford to be out of power
This guy always ends up in the treasury benches. Therefore, going by his statements, his party is "ideologically" close to PML-N, PPP, PML-Q, Musharraf etc. And then he says they don't do it for ministries and privileges. MA!
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha --- hu hu hu --- thats all I can say. Who didn't expect this from Maulana sahib? Please raise hands !!!
Molana sahab couldnt resist anymore. This govt is turning out to be exactly following the previous PPP govt. Now nawaz sharif will use molana's advice, the same way zardari used to.
Hahahahaha. Why am I not surprised?
A true "thali ka Baigan' Or oppurtunis. He does not deserved to be called Maulana.