ISLAMABAD – The PPP-led government on Saturday continued its efforts to patch up with the JUI-F, as Interior Minister Rehman Malik and ANP President Asfandyar Wali separately called on Fazlur Rehman to convince him to rejoin the government.
A JUI-F source told Pakistan Today that Fazl politely said no to both of them. He said both leaders listened to the JUI-F’s apprehensions and concerns and assured the party that it would be redressed at the earliest. The source said instead of giving a clear answer to the question of reversing his decision of quitting the government, Fazl left the decision to the party’s executive council, which is scheduled to meet in Islamabad on December 22.
In another development, the MQM is anxious to consult the JUI-F, apparently to discuss whether it should also quit the PPP-led coalition. Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Ghauri telephoned JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri on Saturday to discuss the political situation arising out of his party’s quitting the government.
