ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had agreed to resign from assemblies and dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly to pave way for early elections in the country.
Talking to reporters in Islamabad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that JUI-F is willing to resign from the assemblies if necessary.
This revelation came after a committee was formed by JUI-F, headed by Kamran Murtaza, to engage in dialogue with the jailed Imran Khan party.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated that PTI had assured him of their intention to step down from assemblies and dissolve the KP Assembly.
“The JUI-F committee will finalise the future strategy after holding consultations with the PTI.” Other members of the committee include Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Mufti Fazal Ghafoor, Aslam Ghauri and Maulana Amjad.
However, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan refuted Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s claims, stating that PTI had not discussed nor agreed to resignations or dissolution of the KP assembly with JUI-F.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman admitted differences and past tensions with PTI but said that their rivalry was confined to electoral competition. He criticized the current ruling parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), describing them as ineffective.
Following the 2024 elections, where allegations of rigging were raised, JUI-F found itself at odds with PML-N and PPP after they formed a coalition government with JUI-F who headed a multi-party opposition alliance — Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — which successfully ousted former prime minister Khan from power via no-confidence motion in 2022.
Both JUI-F and PTI had engaged in talks post-elections due to shared opposition to the “Operation Azm-e-Istekham” anti-terror initiative by the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The JUI-F chief also opposed the cases against incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and other politicians.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced upcoming public events by JUI-F in KP, including a farmer’s convention in Mardan, a trader’s convention in Peshawar, and a peace jirga in Lakki Marwat.
