• JUI-F’s Senator Murtaza, MNA Haideri meet PTI leaders.
• They convey Fazl’s concerns before formation of grand alliance.
• Meeting also focuses on collective working inside parliament.

ISLAMABAD: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) talked about bolstering the opposition parties’ platforms, The News reported on Monday.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and former speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser were reportedly present during the meeting held at the Parliament Lodges. Senator Kamran Murtaza and MNA Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri represented the JUI-F at the meeting.

Raja apprised the JUI-F leaders of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s message about uniting against the government and for supremacy of the rule of law and the Constitution.

Haideri and Murtaza laid out the point of view of their chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his concerns before going for the formation of a grand alliance. The meeting also focused on how to collectively work inside the parliament on important national issues and possible legislation in future.

There have been contacts between the two sides in recent months but significant progress could not be made for a working relationship. However, recently, a two-member committee, consisting of Qaiser and Murtaza, was formed to pave the way for moving forward.

In January, a PTI delegation met Fazl and invited him formally to join the opposition alliance, namely the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP).

Meanwhile, the JUI-F had conveyed its conditions and reservations to the PTI about joining the opposition’s grand alliance, The News reported on March 8, quoting sources as saying.

The sources had said that the JUI-F’s leadership had apprised Qaisar of conditions — some of which also pertained to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur — if it was to join the opposition’s alliance.

The development came against the backdrop of expedited efforts by the Imran Khan-founded party to form a grand opposition alliance to launch an anti-government movement after Eid ul Fitr following his directives for PTI leaders to approach every political party to form a grand opposition alliance and launch an anti-government movement.

In April 2024, the PTI formed the TTAP, a multi-party opposition alliance comprising the SIC, PkMAP, Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Jamaat-i-Islami, and Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen.

Whereas, after talks between the government and the opposition collapsed in January, the PTI made another push to establish a joint front against the ruling coalition by roping in ex-premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi earlier this month to become part of its movement.

In February, TTAP leaders also held a two-day conference, which held the “rigged” 8 February 2024 general elections responsible for the ongoing economic, political and social crises facing the country.

The opposition’s moot demanded to abolish all amendments that contradict the spirit of the Constitution. The conference called the “rampant violation of constitutional and human rights” a complete negation of the rule of law in the country.

On the other hand, Gandapur’s recent remarks targeting JUI-F chief Fazl have caused uproar within the ranks of the religio-political party.

The JUI-F had earlier warned that KP chief minister’s comments about its chief could seriously hurt a potential alignment.

“KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s statements are causing harm to his party’s (PTI) cause … a grand opposition alliance is in the works, but dissenting voices are emerging from within PTI,” JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said while speaking in the Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ on Saturday.

Last week, speaking to a private news channel, Gandapur had dismissed Fazl as a “threat”, saying that the JUI-F chief meant nothing at all to him. “As opposition alliance is in the making, we have to talk to all sorts of parties — big and small,” he had said.

“I don’t want to say too much … or they’ll complain to Imran Khan that I’m too harsh on Maulana sahab,” he added.