ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has agreed to step down from parliament and dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly to allow early elections to be held in the country.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the JUI-F was ready to resign from parliament if necessary.
The revelation came after a JUI-F committee headed by Kamran Murtaza was formed to hold dialogue with the jailed Imran Khan’s party.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the PTI has confirmed its intention to quit the parliament and dissolve the KP Assembly.
“The JUI-F committee will finalise its future strategy after consulting with the PTI.” Other members of the committee include Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Mufti Fazal Ghafoor, Aslam Ghauri and Maulana Amjad.
However, PTI Chairman and lawyer Gohar Ali Khan denied Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s allegations and said the PTI has not discussed or agreed with the JUI-F on resignation or dissolution of the KP Assembly.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman acknowledged his differences and past tensions with the PTI but said their conflict was limited to the electoral battle. He criticised the current ruling parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), describing them as ineffective.
The JUI-F found itself at odds with the PML-N and PPP after the 2024 elections, which were riddled with allegations of electoral fraud. The JUI-F leads the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a multi-party opposition coalition that successfully ousted former prime minister Khan from power in 2022 through a no-confidence motion.
The JUI-F and the PTI had been holding talks after the elections as they shared a common stance against the “Operation Azm-e-Istekam” anti-terrorism programme of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. The JUI-F leader also opposed the cases against jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and other politicians.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced upcoming public events by JUI-F in KP province, including farmers’ meet in Mardan, traders’ meet in Peshawar and peace jirga in Lakki Marwat.
