–JUI-F chief calls on Nawaz, says opposition should join hands to oust Imran govt
Former prime minister and supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif has reportedly turned down a request of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to join the opposition’s street agitation against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, according to reports.
The JUI-Fazl chief had sought support of the PML-N in the protests announced by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and other opposition parties during a meeting with Nawaz at his Jati Umra residence.
Sources privy to the issues discussed in the meeting said that Nawaz refused to give a clear commitment to Fazl regarding his party’s participation in street protests, saying he would discuss the matter with other leaders.
However, PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair categorically said that his party will not participate in the street protests called by PPP.
Talking in a TV channel’s talk show, Zubair said that the party did not intend to join hands with PPP and other parties in street agitation.
On April 4, while addressing a ceremony on the 40th death anniversary of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had announced that he would march towards Islamabad along with his party workers to oust the incumbent government.
“The ‘selected’ prime minister’s bubble has burst. The government does not have funds to run the country. I want to tell him that if he cannot collect funds through the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) then he should leave,” he said, adding that his party cannot give this government any more time as it does not care about the people, therefore, it has decided to march on Islamabad to oust the government.
Addressing reporters after meeting Nawaz, Maulana Fazl said that the opposition should join hands to terminate the government.
The JUI-F chief said he had been in touch with other political leaders, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari. He added that he will also call on Zardari in the next few days as believes that “internal connections [among opposition parties] should remain intact”.
“The agenda of the meeting was limited to inquiring about his [Nawaz Sharif’s] health, but we also discussed our shared concerns about towering inflation, which is affecting the common man, and the troubled economy,” he said while responding to a question.
Calling Prime Minister Imran Khan a “fake and khala’i [extra-terrestrial]” premier, Rehman described the current regime as an “installed” one. He added that the ruling regime has no knowledge of the ideology of Pakistan, the ground realities of the country and the economy.
He repeated that the JUI-F has completed 10 ‘million marches’ against the government and that they are ready for a decisive one.
“NAB is an institution of revenge. You should not expect accountability or justice from NAB. I think we need to take some strict decisions when it comes to NAB,” Rehman said.
As the meeting was taking place, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the Supreme Court was informed that Nawaz Sharif was so unwell that his life was in danger if bail wasn’t granted. “Now instead of ambulances Fazlur Rehman has reached there and is giving a political injection of Mian saheb. The courts should take notice of this.”
