Fazlur Rehman rules out alliance with PTI

ISLAMABAD: Ruling out any alliance with Imran Khan-led party, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday equated the differences with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to ‘mountains’ and said that they were not easy to overcome, ARY News reported.

Speaking to a private news channel, the JUI-F chief talked about his recent meeting with PTI delegation, saying that this was not the first time PTI people came.

“They [PTI leaders] have come before as well. We have always given them respect,” Fazlur Rehman said, regretting that a culture had developed where meetings between two parties were automatically termed an ‘alliance’.

He said that the JUI-F had reservations about the election results across the country. “In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we have reservations regarding PTI’s win,” he said, adding that this stance was also tabled before PTI delegation.

“We are firm on our stance, they are firm on their stance,” Maulana Fazl said, ruling out alliance between the political parties.

Referring to Feb 8 general elections, he asked: “How can we accept such an election from which so many anomalies have arisen?”

“Our rights have been snatched for PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, different political parties in Balochistan, for PPP in Sindh, and for PML-N in Punjab,” he maintained.

Fazlur Rehman again invited political parties that were part of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to sit on the opposition benches with JUI-F instead of burying their politics by forming a government.

Recently, a delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and conveyed the party’s founder Imran Khan message to him.

Sources told ARY News that both the parties discussed matters related to ‘massive rigging’ in the recently held General Elections 2024. Fazalur Rehman and the PTI delegation expressed severe reservations about the election results.

Speaking to media after the meeting, JUI-F’s Hafiz Hamdullah and Barrister Saif of PTI said that during the meeting, both parties agreed that the real mandate of the people was ‘snatched’ on February 8.

“Today, we agreed on one point that the elections were not transparent. We will decide further course of action accordingly,” Hafiz Hamdullah added.

The two parties remain staunch rivals in the political field. Political distance between the parties could be ironed out over a one-point agenda of alleged rigging and irregularities in elections.

Earlier, Asad Qaiser said that after a jail meeting with the party founder, said that he has been tasked with contacts with political parties including, the JUI-F, ANP, Aftab Sherpao, and others.

PTI founder Imran Khan had ruled out the possibility of talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for the formation of the government or joint opposition.