CHARSADDA/KOHAT: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman dashed to Wali Bagh in Charsadda on Tuesday in a bid to woo the Awami National Party leadership and bring the opposition parties on one platform to give tough time to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in and outside parliament.

Maulana Fazl held a meeting with ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan and discussed with him political situation in the country and issues related to the opposition parties in order to put up a joint struggle against the government. ANP veteran Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain and other senior leaders were also present on the occasion.

Later, talking to mediapersons the JUI-F chief and Mr Wali said that division in the opposition parties was a bad omen for the country. They said that they had agreed that it was necessary that the opposition parties should unite.

Plan to give tough time to govt in and outside parliament

The two leaders said that stoking up the issue of controversial Kalabagh dam project without national consensus would prove detrimental to the country. They said that they were not against construction of dams, but a national consensus was necessary in this regard.

The two leaders also criticised the government for giving chairmanship of the parliamentary committee on poll rigging to Defence Minister Pervez Khattak. They said that the today’s meeting focused on issues related to bringing the opposition on a joint platform to play a vital role in the parliament.

In Kohat, Maulana Fazlur Rehman disclosed that talks were in progress with Pakistan Peoples Party to make a united front against the government.

During his brief stay at the residence of secretary general Jameel Paracha, the JUI-F head told this correspondent that negotiations were going on with the PPP leadership for forming an alliance.

He criticised the PTI government for belittling the religious recognition of Pakistan and alleged that agenda of Prime Minister Imran Khan was to enforce western culture in the country.

Maulana Fazl said that the PTI government was unnecessarily meddling in the affairs of seminaries which would not be allowed in any case. He said that the religious parties would go to any extent to stop the government from changing the syllabus.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken a lot of turncoats and corrupt people with him who had been changing loyalties and remained in the past governments. He claimed that Imran Khan had developed a habit of only doing opposition during his 22-year struggle therefore he could not find a direction how to deal with the government affairs.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2018