Fazlur Rehman offers to help revive government-PTI talks

Fazlur Rehman offers to help revive government-PTI talks

A possible new avenue for resolving the political deadlock between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged on Thursday, with the government saying Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was willing to facilitate dialogue. However, opposition leaders maintained that any negotiations must involve a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan.

The government’s negotiating committee submitted a report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following its meeting with Fazlur Rehman. According to government sources, the JUI-F chief expressed willingness to play a conciliatory role and help bridge differences between the government and PTI.

Sources said Fazlur Rehman believed the stalled negotiations could resume and urged the government to pursue a political settlement through dialogue and mutual understanding. He reportedly advised against imposing governor’s rule or declaring an emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The government delegation also briefed the prime minister on the conditions Fazlur Rehman had proposed for facilitating talks and conveyed a special message from the JUI-F leader. Sources added that a telephone conversation between Shehbaz Sharif and Fazlur Rehman was expected soon.

The delegation comprised National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

However, the reported mediation initiative faced questions from the opposition. Akhundzada Hussain, spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), rejected reports that Fazlur Rehman had entered the process as a mediator, describing them as a narrative promoted by the government or pro-government media.

He also denied any recent contact with the JUI-F chief, apart from an earlier meeting.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Akhundzada said neither PTI nor TTAP had received any communication about a decision to restart mediation through Fazlur Rehman by late Thursday.

Earlier reports had suggested that Fazlur Rehman had conveyed certain conditions to the government before agreeing to facilitate negotiations. PTI was also reportedly holding internal consultations to decide how to respond to the message.

Despite the government’s reported efforts to open a new channel for dialogue, the opposition’s insistence on meeting Imran Khan remained a key condition for moving negotiations forward.