In a significant political realignment, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has officially consented to support Mehmood Khan Achakzai for the crucial post of Leader of the Opposition, ending months of vacancy and signaling a new chapter of cooperation with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The breakthrough decision was announced in a statement on Wednesday following a meeting between a PTI delegation, led by Asad Qaiser, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in the capital.
This development resolves the leadership vacuum on the opposition benches, which has persisted since August 5 following the disqualification of PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan from the position.
The PTI team, which also included KP President Junaid Akbar and Shahram Khan Tarakai, formally requested Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s endorsement for the PkMAP chief. The JUI-F leader was accompanied by senior party figures including Maulana Salahuddin Ayubi, Advocate Jalaluddin, and his son, Maulana Asjad Mahmood.
During the talks, the visiting delegation also sought JUI-F’s cooperation on a vacant Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and exchanged views on the current political and regional situation.
A proposal to convene a national jirga to address the deteriorating law and order situation in KP was also tabled by the PTI, an initiative the JUI-F chief welcomed, according to the statement.
The Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), an alliance of opposition parties, has now formally submitted the request to nominate Achakzai. It was confirmed that Asad Qaiser had briefed the Maulana on his prior discussions with the PkMAP leader, taking him into confidence over the selection.
This accord marks a notable thaw in relations between the two parties, particularly after PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja had recently expressed doubts that JUI-F would side with his party on the nomination, citing past political experiences.
The TTAP also revealed plans to hold nationwide public gatherings in November to mobilize public support.
Underscoring the evolving dynamics within the opposition, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also held a separate meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the same day to discuss the formulation of a joint strategy on key national issues.