ISLAMABAD: In an unexpected turn of events, a delegation consisting of top leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman with the approval of PTI’s chairman, Imran Khan.
For quite some time, Imran and Fazl have been engaged in a political rivalry, and they are often considered arch-enemies. Fazl’s party was also part of the coalition government and played a role in ousting Imran from power last year.
After the meeting in Islamabad, PTI’s senior leader Asad Qaiser spoke to journalists, stating, “Everyone, including the PTI chairman, approved of this meeting.” He explained that the purpose of their visit was to offer condolences on the passing of Fazl’s mother-in-law, as is customary in their culture. They did not engage in political discussions during the meeting. Qaiser is a strong supporter of Imran and a former speaker of the National Assembly.
However, insiders informed that the meeting did touch upon the country’s political situation and other significant matters, and it lasted for approximately an hour.
From the PTI side, the delegation included Asad Qaiser, Ali Muhammad Khan, Barrister Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, and Junair Akbar.
This development follows recent reports suggesting that Fazl agreed to play a leading role in national reconciliation efforts aimed at achieving political stability in the country. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that, upon the suggestion of former senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, Fazl, who also leads the multi-party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), expressed support for participating in political dialogue among key stakeholders.
Durrani, when contacted, confirmed that the PDM chief agreed to assume a leading role in national reconciliation. He stated, “Fazl is a national leader who can facilitate national reconciliation.”
These political developments are occurring as Pakistan is gradually moving toward elections expected to take place in January of the next year. Imran Khan, the chief of PTI, is currently incarcerated and cannot contest the elections, while Nawaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has returned to the country and aspires to secure a fourth term as prime minister, provided he can clear the pending court cases.
