Fazl to determine JUI-F future strategy

ISLAMABAD - Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) has completely distanced itself from the ongoing deliberations between the government and selective opposition parties for power sharing at the centre to form 'national reconciliation government. While the final round of talks between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) took place on Thursday regarding the formation of the coalition 'national reconciliation government, the JUI-F leaders stood entirely indifferent towards the latest developments saying that their party chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman would decide upon his arrival to Pakistan whether to respond to repeatedly insentient calls of PML-Q Chaudhrys for a meeting. The power-sharing negotiations between the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have reportedly been finalised already. Apparently showing least interest in the emerging coalition governmental arrangement, the top leadership of the JUI-F has stayed off the scene lately. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, who is out for an official tour to Brussels as Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, would be returning to Pakistan later next week while the partys Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri is in Quetta for the last few days on a personal tour, reportedly in order to avoid the media hype regarding the prevailing political scenario. In a telephonic conversation with this scribe on Friday, Haideri said that he would return to Islamabad within the next few days after his personal engagements were over. Regarding the PPPs and PML-Qs 'invitations to the JUI-F for power-sharing at the federal level, he said that the JUI-F was not interested in answering such invitations and Maulna Fazl-ur-Rehman, as partys head, would decide whether to hold meetings with Chaudhry brothers, upon his return. Even if we entertain their requests and hold a meeting with them out of courtesy, it never implies that we would revisit our decision and join the treasury benches. No, never, the decision we have arrived at stands full and final, Haideri said.

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