JUI-F spokesperson Mufti Mohammad Abrar told Business Recorder that the JUI-F chief made several attempts to bring all opposition political parties on a single platform and forge a 'grand opposition alliance' against the PTI government, however, his efforts have not borne fruit so far.
"Our principled stance is that we do not recognize the PTI government as an elected government rather it is a government imposed on the country through a 'selection' process", he maintained, adding that the JUI-F does not accept the results of July 25 general elections.
To a question, he said that the JUI-F chief has now focused his energies on re-organizing the party and there has been no fresh effort for a 'grand opposition alliance'. "We are pursing the wait and see policy. We believe the 'incompetent' government of PTI will fall under its own weighty," he further maintained, adding that now the major responsibility for a grand alliance rests with the two major parties, PML-N and PPP.
Soon after the July 25 general elections, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman made several attempts to pave the way for a meeting between PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, but to no avail. A senior PML-N leader told Business Recorder that the formation of the opposition grand alliance was not under discussion, adding that the PPP's top leadership did not show an interest when PML-N was willing to forge an anti-government alliance.
"We are against political victimization of any political leader; we believe that when the PML-N leadership was facing the 'worst persecution' single-handedly the PPP did not show any interest in an alliance; now it is their [PPP] turn", he said. However, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, another senior PML-N leader and former Prime Minister told Business Recorder that the opposition parties are united on issues of public importance within parliament.
"Together with other opposition parties, we have been actively raising our concerns within parliament on the grave economic situation and incompetence of the government to address the crisis," he said. In response to a query he categorically stated that there was no option under consideration to move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly at this stage.