By Ali Haider
ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Monday said that he plans on conveying to the new coalition setup his desire for “immediate” elections, just days after an alliance of then opposition parties ousted former prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the country’s new premier.
Fazl, who had been at the forefront of the former joint opposition’s endeavours to end the Khan government, was addressing his party workers in Islamabad when he said that the new government would operate for a year at the most. “In this new setup, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam has its own identity and we are telling them (coalition partners) that we still want elections immediately,” he added. Referring to Khan but not naming him, Fazl continued: “Even though he is gone and we sent him packing, it is still our responsibility to return to the people the amanat that we struggled for.” Fazl suggested electoral reforms as a solution to any reservations that coalition partners in the new setup may have with regards to the electoral system and possibilities of rigging.
He went on to say that “there is a limit to expediency. Continuing to stay in power unnecessarily would not be the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s stance”.
“And we stick to our stance,” he said, adding that the JUI-F would be engaging the new coalition setup on the subject. Fazl’s remarks have come amid reports that newly elected PM Shehbaz would be announcing his cabinet soon.
Fazl conveyed his displeasure to PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, another key members in coalition setup, and questioned as to why two ministries were given to those parties or persons who had contested elections against JUI-F. Fazl conveyed to Zardari that the ANP and Dawar would give a dent to his party in the next elections too.
According to details, Zardari made it clear that he could not back out of his promises made with the allied parties as he was a “guarantor” in the alliance, which was formed against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.
Zardari said his party did not want to take ministries unless all allied parties were accommodated.
Earlier, he had hinted that his party would not be taking any ministries in PM Shehbaz’s cabinet.
“I don’t think we are taking any ministries,” he told journalists outside the National Assembly after PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was elected NA speaker on Saturday.
Earlier Saturday, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah told a private TV channel that a joint committee of all allied parties in the government had finalised the formation of the new cabinet in which almost all parties had been accommodated. He said the PPP had sought the foreign ministry for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. However, it’s still uncertain whether Mr Bilawal would join Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet or not. Political instability increased when the then opposition’s no-trust motion against the then Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeded an hour past midnight on Sunday, with 174 members in the 342-strong house voting in favour of the resolution.
PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after Asad Qaiser resigned as speaker, announced the result, after which Imran Khan ceased to hold the office of prime minister, according to Article 95 of the Constitution. Imran Khan is the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to have been removed from office through a no-confidence vote. Before him, Shaukat Aziz in 2006, and Benazir Bhutto in 1989, survived the moves against them.
PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said Sadiq could not cast his vote as he was chairing the session.
PTI dissenting members did not cast their votes either.
Before adjourning the session, Sadiq said the nomination papers for the new prime minister may be submitted by 2pm today (Sunday) and scrutiny would be done by 3pm. He summoned the session on Monday at 11am and said the new premier would be elected then.
