Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed late on Saturday that the PTI was ready to dissolve its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and resign from all assemblies for fresh elections.

“This is a positive approach and we welcome it,” Fazl told reporters at his residence in Islamabad.

The PTI or any leader did not address or comment on the claim on social media as of Saturday night.

He also reported progress in contacts with the PTI and said his party formed a committee for formal negotiations to bury the hatchet.

“PTI and JUI had a bitter past and normalisation is a priority for future cooperation. This will lay the foundation for moving ahead,” he said.

He detailed that senior leader Kamran Murtaza would lead the committee while other members would be Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Fazal Ghafoor, Maulana Amjad and Fazal Ghafoor.

Fazl blasted the government for keeping PTI founder Imran Khan and other party leaders in prison.

He also reiterated his opposition to Operation Azm-i-Istehkam and claimed the people did not support it as they had suffered a lot due to previous military operations.

“People will not leave their houses again as they had to flee Swat and tribal areas due to operations and would live in camps,” he recalled.

Fazl called on the establishment to review its policies, saying the country could not continue to run if the current situation prevailed.

“They (the establishment) have no capability to deal with political matters. They want to make the Parliament and civil institutions as slaves and elected representatives as their servants,” he said.

“If you want to impose an emergency, launch parties of your own choice and make the Parliament subservient, we will not allow this,” he asserted.

Addressing the establishment, Fazl said: “You are creating a situation like Bangladesh in two provinces (KP and Balochistan) to separate from the country. The situation is now out of your hands and control. Martial law and emergency will not work now.”

Afghanistan visit

The JUI-F chief also referred to his visit to Afghanistan in January and said he had received assurance from the Afghan leadership on several issues, including suggestions to resolve the issue of violence.

“Our people lost what I had achieved during my visit to Afghanistan,” he rued.

The JUI-F chief announced a series of gatherings in the coming weeks as part of public mobilisations, including a farmers’ convention in Mardan and traders gathering in Peshawar.