ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has decided to keep its alliance with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), despite parting ways from the ruling coalition in the centre.
A day before its central executive committee meeting, central leaders of JUI-F held a meeting late on Tuesday evening and decided not to quit from the provincial governments.
However, sources told The Express Tribune that after the CEC meeting, the top leadership “will say that it has empowered the local chapters of Balochistan and G-B to take a decision of remaining in the government or otherwise.”
Augmenting its pressure, the JUI-F, which had levelled allegations against the religious affairs minister and castigated the Benazir Income Support Programme terming it a ‘’source of corruption’’.
Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani held a meeting w ith JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and discussed matters related to the provincial government with him, as well as prospects of coming back to the ruling coalition, which Maulana Fazl once again declined.
JUI-F has around a dozen seats in the Balochistan assembly and it is in the ruling coalition in the province. Similarly, the party’s government in G-B is likely to continue its alliance with the PPP there. (Related story on Page 3)
PPP has made repeated efforts to persuade Rehman to change his decision of quitting the federal government at different levels.
JUI-F is retaining chairmanship of parliamentary committees, but had tendered its resignation from cabinet portfolios and parliamentary secretariats. The party has also asked the speaker national assembly and senate chairman to allocate their members seats on the opposition benches.
MQM meets PML-F
“(The) series of meetings initiated by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with different political parties does not mean a conspiracy is being hatched against the government. It (meeting) aims at strengthening relations between allied parties to find a solution for the problems being faced by the poor,” said MQM leader Babar Ghauri, while briefing the media after a meeting with Pir Pagara, President of Pakistan Muslim League - F (PML-F) at Kingri House on Tuesday.
The meeting lasted for nearly an hour. Ghauri, who led the four-member delegation of his party, said that earlier MQM leader Altaf Hussain had also phoned Pir Pagara and the meeting had been held in continuation of their telephonic conversation. Pir Parga did not talk to the media.
Regarding the local bodies system, Ghauri said that there is a need to bring legislation in the system with mutual consultation.
“Consensus on legislation of the local government ordinance will bring a positive change, but unilateral changes will create problems,” Ghauri said.
Meanwhile in Lahore, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) agreed to continue opposing the reformed general sales tax. Both the parties reached this understanding after a telephonic contact made by MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain from London with JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hassan on Monday.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2010.
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