Chaudhry Shujaat, Pervaiz Elahi contact Maulana Fazlur Rehman

ISLAMABAD: The PML-Q chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday contacted the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in order to end the deadlock on the ongoing Azadi March against the government. Sources said the government and the Maulana agreed to hold talks today (Monday).

Chaudhry Shujaat congratulated the Maulana for 'stealing the show' with his Azadi March. According to sources, the PML-Q chief congratulated the Maulana for putting up a good show in Islamabad.

"Congratulations, you’ve managed to get the leaders of the two biggest opposition parties to recognise you as their leader," he reportedly told Fazlur Rehman.

Chaudhry Shujaat urged Fazlur Rehman to correct the wrong impression that had been caused by his statement involving the army. He also lashed out at the PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif.

"Shahbaz has no place in the dharna," Shujaat reportedly told Fazl. "He became leader of the opposition by accident. You are the real opposition leader," he told Fazl.

Shujaat urged Fazlur Rehman to resolve the crisis through reconciliation, keeping in mind the national interest. "Try to resolve the crisis through reconciliation, you have the capability to do so," he was quoted as telling the JUI-F chief.

Chaudhry Shujaat is coming to Islamabad today (Monday) from Lahore to meet the Maulana. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahialso contacted Fazlur Rehman and urged him to resolve the current standoff through reconciliation.

According to sources, Fazlur Rehman and Pervaiz Elahi both spoke over the phone and discussed the Azadi March standoff. Sources from the JUI-F said that the Maulana gave a positive message to Pervaiz Elahi.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan ruled out any possibility of NRO for opposition leaders, saying that any agreement with them would be equivalent to treachery with the country. Instead of Twitter, the prime minister gave a categorical message to the opposition leaders, who have gathered here under the tag of Azadi March of the JUI-F, through a post on his Facebook account, ‘Imran Khan Official’.

“Unless they are held accountable, the country could not be put on track of progress. They just want to hear three words ‘NRO’ from me, which I will not utter as it will amount to treachery with the country,” he made it clear.

In a speech at a function in Gilgit on Friday, the prime minister came hard on the opposition parties for launching the Azadi March and regretted that they were all united to topple an elected government. He also declared not to give NRO to them.

The prime minister had emphatically declared that Pakistan could not make progress until and unless, those who had looted the national wealth were subjected to accountability. The government core committee earlier decided to negotiate with Fazlur Rehman.

The meeting of the core committee took place at Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani's house. Sanjrani told participants of the meeting that the government should seriously negotiate with Fazlur Rehman to resolve the crisis.

"Fazlur Rehman has still not violated the agreement hence we should also talk to him," Sanjrani was quoted as saying.

"We are always ready to negotiate," said Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak. Meanwhile, the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser made contact with Akram Khan Durrani, head of the opposition's Rehbar Committee, and recommended that the two sides hold a meeting.

"We are politicians. Our doors are always open for negotiations," Durrani assured Qaiser. Durrani also told the speaker that the opposition's demands are still the same and they stand by them.

Meanwhile, the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani held a meeting with JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and discussed issues related to the Long March and negotiations between the two sides.