LAHORE:
The JUI-F will not be part of any joint movement with the TTAP until past doubts between them and the PTI are resolved, a party official said, as contrasting positions emerge from the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and the JUI-F on the joint movement.
Two meetings – an informal interaction at Parliament and another formal meeting at Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence with Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai – sparked speculation about a broader alliance against the PML-N-led government.
The opposition alliance led by TTAP and its main shareholder PTI – excluding the JUI-F – already announced a campaign against the recent surge in inflation and gasoline prices earlier this week, and it plans to reach out to other opposition parties, including the JUI-F, to launch a joint movement.
TTAP spokesperson Akhundzada Hussain told The Express PK Press Club that overall economic and security issues were discussed in the meeting at Maulana’s residence.
He said there was consensus between the two parties on launching a movement against inflation, ECP and the proposed 28th amendment and added that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had sought time to discuss the proposals with senior party leaders.
JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri, however, denied that any discussions on a joint movement took place during Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s recent visit, insisting that it was only to condole with the killing of JUI-F leader Maulana Muhammad Idrees. He said political issues were discussed, but no common movement.
He said the JUI-F would not join any movement with the PTI until the outstanding issues were resolved, noting that the PTI had participated in consultations and exchanged proposals on the 26th Amendment but then reneged on the process after its adoption. “How can we trust them after this.”
He said the PTI had repeatedly floated the idea of a joint movement, but without any concrete plan. In view of this, he said, the JUI-F is continuing its own movement, ‘Awan Nahi Maidan’, and will hold a rally in Karachi against inflation and law and order issues.
He said the JUI-F chief is planning a visit to Balochistan after Eid, noting that Maulana Fazlur Rehman holds Mehmood Khan Achakzai in high esteem and maintains cordial relations with him. He added that any formal proposal from Achakzai would be considered once the JUI-F sets its own terms of reference (TOR).
When contacted again for clarification amid the JUI-F dispute over the purpose of the meeting and the proposed move, TTAP spokesperson Hussain expressed surprise, saying the JUI-F spokesperson may not be aware of all the details. He maintained that the meeting went beyond a simple call of condolences and had a broader scope.
When contacted to share TTAP’s position on the issue, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said its position on a common movement remains the same, regardless of TTAP’s claims.
