JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has politely declined PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif’s offer to join the consultative process for forming a coalition government at the Centre, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday, quoting its sources.
The former three-time prime minister established a telephonic contact with the JUI chief on late Sunday night and invited him for consultations for cobbling together a coalition government.
The PML-N supreme even offered to send a special plane to bring the JUI chief to Lahore for the meeting.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, however, politely declined the offer for consultation.
Later, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif also contacted the Maulana on phone and exchanged view of the political situation prevailing in the country after general elections 2024 threw a split mandate.
Shehbaz took the JUI chief in confidence over formation of a government at the Centre.
Also on Sunday, a meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had been postponed.
Now, PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shafay Hussain said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will travel to Islamabad to hold a meeting with Nawaz Sharif on Monday (today).
Earlier, a PML-N delegation led by Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to meet Shujaat Hussain at his Lahore residence on Sunday.
It may also be mentioned here that the PML-N had offered a “massive package” to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ranging from the post of president of Pakistan to the chief minister in Balochistan in order to seal a coalition deal between the two major political parties.
Quoting sources, the 24News TV channel reported that there was a huge development in the talks between the two parties as the PML-N offered constitutional posts to the PPP which include president, Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker and Balochistan chief minister.
Besides these, the PPP was also offered a number of ministries to the Peoples Party in Punjab.
PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari will take final decision in this regard after holding consultations with the top party leaders.
List of MQM-P demands
PML-N and MQM-P had on Sunday agreed to continue talks on the formation of government at the Centre.
The MQM-P delegation which held talks with Nawaz Sharif and other PML-N leaders at Raiwind comprised of Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal.
The MQM has put up three demands to the PML-N if it wanted its support at the Centre.
The MQM wants governorship in Sindh, say in mega development projects for Karachi besides joining the consultative process for the formation of the federal government.
Both parties, however, agreed on continuing the consultation process and also inviting other parties for the formation of federal government.
Reporter Sajid Baloch