Fazlur Rehman contacts Nawaz Sharif, suggests returning to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has contacted Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and asked him to return to Pakistan, citing sources, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman has made a telephonic conversation with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and expressed his reservations besides suggesting him to return to the country, sources told ARY News.

Both leaders have exchanged views on the political situation and the decisions taken by the opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Sources said that Maulana Fazl complained with Sharif over the difficulties in the implementation of PDM’s decisions as the top leadership of PML-N is residing in a foreign country.

Read: PPP not to resign from assemblies at any cost, Zardari tells PDM

He added that the bitter experience of Senate elections was also an outcome of it, on the other hand, the mutual trust was damaged by not casting vote to the JUI-F candidate. Moreover, both leaders have also discussed the stance adopted by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The JUI-F supremo reiterated that the decision for tendering resignations from assemblies possesses a great importance in the ongoing anti-government campaign.

Sources said that Nawaz Sharif assured Maulana Fazlur Rehman of increasing coordination in order to take forward the anti-government campaign through joint efforts in future.

Read: Fazlur Rehman announces to postpone PDM’s long march

Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had clearly told his fellow PDM leaders that his party’s lawmakers won’t resign from assemblies at any cost and demanded that PML-N Supreme Leader Mian Nawaz Sharif should fly back to the country “for a decisive battle” with the government.

Addressing a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) meeting in Lahore through video link, the former president had maintained that going for a last-resort option like mass resignations will only strengthen the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

He was of the view that he himself served a 14-year-long jail term so if Nawaz Sharif is serious in his battle for democracy, then he should fly back to the country.

Zardari’s statement is widely being dubbed as a rift within the 11-party-alliance made against the incumbent government.