ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has requested two Senate seats from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in exchange for his party’s full backing in parliament.
According to sources, JUI-F is seeking PTI’s support to secure the election of two of its senators, while PTI’s committee has so far agreed to back only one JUI-F candidate.
JUI-F aims to elect former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Ghulam Ali as a senator, but PTI’s committee is leaning toward supporting a different candidate, sources indicated.
However, JUI-F does not have enough votes on its own to elect a senator and thus requires PTI’s support.
Sources also mentioned that the PTI committee has asked for time to consult with party chairman Imran Khan regarding JUI-F’s demands.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is pushing to elect Talha Mahmood as a senator, a move that JUI-F is likely to oppose. Mahmood recently left JUI-F after a decade-long affiliation to join the PPP.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has stated that it would be “fortunate” if JUI-F and PTI could reach a consensus, despite what he described as “mountain-sized” differences between the two parties. He noted that PTI’s delegation had met with JUI-F and that, following tradition, they were welcomed.
“If our issues with PTI are resolved, it would be good,” Rehman said. “If not, every political party has its own stance and opinion.”
