LAHORE: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday ruled out the formation of a formal opposition alliance but expressed willingness to cooperate with other parties on key issues.
“There is no concept of a formal alliance in the opposition… that’s typically a feature of the government,” the religio-political leader said while addressing a press conference after his party’s Majlis-e-Shura meeting in Lahore.
The JUI-F and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been holding consultations in recent months to possibly forge an alliance against the government, in the wake of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan’s call to his party to strengthen contacts with opposition parties.
The rift between the two parties deepened after PTI leader Azam Swati said on April 12 that Imran Khan had tasked him with holding talks with the establishment.
Commenting on this, JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza said, “It is unacceptable to expect us to form a political alliance while simultaneously maintaining undisclosed contacts with the establishment.” He criticised the PTI leadership for failing to offer any clarification on the matter.
Murtaza emphasised that during meetings with the PTI, the JUI-F had conveyed that no party should hold unilateral talks with the establishment. “Anything is possible in politics, but for now, we may coordinate on specific issues without becoming part of a formal alliance,” he said.
Addressing the presser today, Fazl noted that his party’s shura has decided against forming a formal alliance,” adding that the JUI-F would continue its political struggle independently from its own platform.
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The party chief added that any strategy for collaboration with parliamentary parties would be chalked out by the party’s consultative and executive bodies.
Responding to a question, the senior politician clarified that it was the JUI-F that supported the 26th Constitutional Amendment at the request of PTI, not the other way around. He further said that the PTI has yet to address JUI-F’s concerns.
Furthermore, Fazl said that the party had also rejected the mines and minerals bill, adding that JUI-F had issued show-cause notices to its members in Balochistan who voted in favour of the bill. “If their explanations are unsatisfactory, their memberships will be suspended,” he warned.
