ISLAMABAD - Refuting the news of resignation by two Jamiat-I-Ulema-I-Islam (Fazl Group) ministers from federal cabinet, who are yet to secure portfolios, a party spokesman and sources in the junior coalition partner in government admitted serious differences with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).
The news of the resignation of Akram Khan Durrani and Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri is being aired by the local television channels and later also picked by some news agencies as well, however, when contacted the JUI-F spokesman termed it rubbish and said that none of their members in the federal cabinet has tendered resignation.
A close aide of JUI-F Parliamentary Leader in Senate, Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, informed The Nation that the Moulana was in Saudi Arabia to perform Umra and would be back on 14th of this month.
He said that they were also tracing out those who had given this news to media. He further said that Akram Durrani, who had also served as chief minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa, was also away to his home down near Bannu, he further informed.
The relations between the two estranged coalition partners faced difficulties right from the beginning and right now the relations are at the lowest ebb and forced JUI-F to take extreme step of opposing its senior coalition partner on some very important piece of legislation.
Sources in PML-N said that they had given all what the JUI-F chief had demanded of them at the time of their joining the government, but as some of their demands could not be met by the party leadership due to their own compulsions and limitations, the JUI-F leadership got annoyed and that was the main reason behind their opposition to the government on the Protection of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2014 and other important matters.
On the other hand, the sources in JUI-F were of the view that they have taken a principled stance on the Protection of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2014 and it has nothing to do with their relations with the PML-N because they keep the interest of people supreme while the proposed bill would completely usurp some of the fundamental rights of the masses enshrined in the Constitution.
These sources further said that they also have some serious reservations about the government not taking them in loop while making some important decisions. So they are left with no choice but to raise their voice against all those decisions, wherein their input is not taken.
When asked, these sources said that ministerial slots and lucrative portfolios never remained the priority of the JUI-F and the history is witness to it that they had not compromised on principles and sacrificed ministerial portfolios on their principles and policies.
It is pertinent to mention here that right now JUI-F is having a federal and a state minister in the Federal Cabinet while they also have two positions having the status equal to federal minister in shape of Chairman Kashmir Committee of the Parliament, which is with the party chief Moulana Fazlur Rehman, and Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) which is held by another party stalwart Moulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani.