On August 24, 2024, President Asif Ali Zardari met with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Fazl’s residence in Islamabad.
Accompanied by Minister for Interior Senator Mohsin Naqvi, Zardari and Fazl discussed significant legislative matters expected to be addressed in the upcoming joint parliamentary session.
The meeting also included prominent JUI-F leaders such as Maulana Abdul Ghafoor, Maulana Asad Mehmood, Aslam Ghauri, and Engineer Ziaur Rehman. The discussions covered potential key legislation to be tabled, though specific details were not disclosed. The sources indicated that current political issues were also part of the conversation.
In a gesture of goodwill, President Zardari presented Maulana Fazl with a ceremonial gift. The federal government has announced that a joint session of Parliament will convene on August 28, 2024, with lawmakers instructed to attend.
Additionally, sessions for the National Assembly and the Senate have been scheduled for August 26 and August 27, respectively, as mandated by Article 54(1) of the Constitution.
This meeting followed a discussion between PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif two days prior. They focused on the political landscape and forthcoming legislative priorities, with the coalition government ensuring that PPP leaders were fully briefed on the proposed legislation.
It is also noteworthy that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and JUI-F have recently agreed to cooperate in the National Assembly and the Senate. This agreement emerged from a meeting between PTI leaders and Fazl, held at Fazl’s residence the day before.
PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan confirmed that ongoing negotiations would continue through dedicated teams, aiming for mutual progress in legislative matters.
JUI-F’s Ziaur Rehman added that the parties’ committees would handle legislative issues, with a two-member committee of Senators Shibli Faraz and Kamran Murtaza managing the Senate’s legislative affairs.
