PTI ‘clears the air’ on meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reacted to the meeting between party bigwigs and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – a surprising development within country’s political landscape, ARY News reported on Thursday.

A delegation comprising PTI top leadership – Asad Qaiser, Ali Mohammad Khan, Junaid Akbar and Barrister Saif – held a meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman earlier in the day.

The two parties have been at loggerheads with one another for a long time with PTI chief Imran Khan targeting JUI-F president and vice versa. Fazl’s party was also part of the coalition government and helped remove Imran Khan from power.

Sources told ARY News that the delegation lauded the Maulana Fazl’s ‘reconciliation’ narrative among political parties.

Meanwhile, the JUI-F chief stressed the need for ‘unity’ among all stakeholders to pull the country out of crisis.

Speaking to ARY News programme ‘Off the Record’, PTI leader Barrister Muhammad Asif said that matters regarding the general elections and situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were discussed during the meeting.

“Maulana Fazl also called for provision of level-playing field to all political parties,” the PTI leader said.

Barrister Saif dispelled any insinuations of a political agenda behind the meeting, clarifying that their visit was to convey their condolences to Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the passing of his mother-in-law.

He further said that it is premature to say anything about political alliance between JUI-F and PTI. “The Election Commission has not yet announced the date of the election,” he added.

The meeting came after Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s met former federal minister Muhammad Ali Durrani on October 23.

In a meeting that lasted for almost two hours in Islamabad, Maulana Fazl agreed to ‘reconciliation’ narrative, which Ali Durrani presented to major political parties.

Both politicians also agreed that every stakeholder should work together for the development of the country. They also stressed for a strategy to improve the ‘political situation’ of the country, sources added.