ISLAMABAD: The JUI-F leadership has expressed serious concerns over disharmony among the party’s cadres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province home to the party’s emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman, according to sources.

The party’s Central Executive Council met on Monday to discuss preparations for upcoming general elections and consider options for probable electoral alliances.

The meeting chaired by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and attended by the senior leaders had not ended till midnight when this report was filed.

The meeting had a divided opinion on alliances, with the top leadership supporting the idea of seat adjustments at the local level while other leaders opposing the idea.

The party’s sources said there were also serious concerns over the challenge posed by the rivals in KP.

JUI-F spokesman Aslam Ghori said the meeting discussed preparations for the upcoming national and provincial elections.

Important consultations regarding intra-party elections, including the recommendations of the constitutional committee were discussed in the meeting, Mr Ghori added.

A senior party leader from Balochistan said it was assumed that the focus of the meeting would be to make more inroads in Punjab including the revival of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a coalition of religious parties including Jamaat-i-Islami.

However, the second day of the meeting was dominated by discussions on the party’s internal weaknesses in KP and there were concerns over the extensive roles granted to the family members of Maulana Fazalur Rehman in political decision-making.

“There were fears that the PML-N might be luring some mid-level party cadre in the KP, possibly to counter JUI-F’s expansion in Punjab,” sources in the party said.

The other major demand made by the office bearers, mostly belonging to the northern KP districts, was to have key positions if the party forms the government in the province.

On the issue of alliances, the JUI-F emir favoured the revival of MMA.

The meeting although failed to evolve consensus on forming an alliance with Islami Tehreek of Allama Sajid Naqvi and JI.

The Islami Tehreek had already applied for ‘human palm’ as an electoral symbol while the JI will continue its politics on the symbol of ‘scales’.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2023