LAHORE:
PPP president Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter’s residence amid speculation that he was seeking the Maulana’s support for another constitutional amendment and a possible alliance in the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir elections.
However, the JUI-F refuted these speculations, stating that the meeting had no specific agenda and that general geopolitical tensions were discussed.
Earlier in the day, a PPP delegation led by President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and comprising former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Kashmir PPP Chairman Chaudhry Yasin reached the residence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The JUI-F chief was accompanied by his son, Maulana Asadur Rehman.
According to JUI-F, the meeting lasted about two hours, including a brief one-on-one interaction of about 10 minutes between the PPP chairman and the JUI-F chief.
After the meeting, media reports citing sources claimed that the PPP had sought support from JUI-F in the Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan elections, and was also trying to bring in the Maulana in connection with the 28th constitutional amendment.
JUI-F leader Kamran Murtaza said all such speculations were incorrect as no such matters were discussed during the meeting. He said that generally the general geopolitical situation was being discussed and there was no specific agenda.
He added that he was not aware of the face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, although it was brief.
When asked if the presence of the PPP’s Kashmir chapter president had fueled speculation, he said while Chaudhry Yasin was present, no such issues were discussed.
Responding to another question about claims by a JUI-F source – who cited a meeting between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq a day earlier and suggested that Maulana’s residence had once again become “ground zero” of Pakistani politics – Murtaza confirmed that the meeting had taken place but said he was not aware of its details.
Despite multiple attempts, no PPP leader was available to comment on the matter.
