Politics never sleeps, and it seems neither do politicians. The recent flurry of meetings aimed at wooing Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to either side has led to an outcome that perhaps neither party truly desired—a compromise that preserves the status quo for the time being.

According to a statement released by Senator Kamran Murtaza, the JUI-F may choose to protest against the government on its own terms but will not join forces with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in its planned power show in Islamabad. This is a significant blow to the PTI. After a series of aborted protests and ongoing fragmentation within its ranks, the PTI was hoping that a major demonstration might reinvigorate its support base, energize its followers, and offer a vision of victory to sustain them.

However, this vision heavily relied on the participation of the JUI-F, whose voter base is seasoned in such protests and has previously engaged in long, hostile sit-ins under police pressure, often achieving the desired results. Without the JUI-F’s manpower, the PTI may struggle to apply similar pressure and maintain political momentum without the support of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The PTI will likely feel particularly aggrieved, considering that just a week ago, its leadership had visited the JUI-F chief at his residence and claimed that the parties had agreed to cooperate on an issue-by-issue basis, potentially laying the groundwork for future collaboration.

Yet, it appears that the political acumen of seasoned leaders like Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has successfully convinced the JUI-F chief not to side with the opposition. Although the government may have hoped for a more comprehensive alignment with the JUI-F, including participation in economic reforms, the concession it has secured—a divided opposition—will go a long way in strengthening the ruling coalition. With upcoming parliamentary sessions on the horizon, it remains to be seen what benefits the JUI-F has extracted from this agreement with the government.