ISLAMABAD - As Tahirul Qadri with his supportive political factions ostensibly is eying a ‘revolution’ to bring down the PML-N government, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has some trouble within his own ranks as important coalition partner (JUI-F) is contemplating to quit the government over a number of reservations.
The disgruntled but important coalition partner (JUI-F) soon after the ongoing National Assembly federal budget 2014-15 is likely to take some ‘bold’ steps if its reservations are not addressed properly, sources in JUI-F shared with The Nation on Wednesday.
The religious party has on number of times expressed its reservations to the government for not taking them into confidence over mediation between TTP and government. The two senior members of the party who took oath as ministers on January 16 but they were not given portfolios and they subsequently decided to detach from the federal cabinet around two months before.
Both Akram Durrani and Maulana Ghafoor Haideri got space in the federal cabinet after around six months after formation of the government but not given proper portfolios due to certain reasons.
The sources said that PML-N’s coalition partner had negotiated the two cabinet posts with the PML-N in July last at the time of presidential election and as reward to its support to the ruling party candidate Mamnoon Hussain.
They said Maulana Fazlur Rahman demanded some powerful ministries with the condition to detach from federal cabinet if demand was not fulfilled. The party had also expressed annoyance over the issues related to the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) and National Security Policy.
When contacted, JUI-F spokesman Jan Achakzai said that JUI-F would soon hold an important meeting with the ruling PML-N on some matters.
To a question, he further termed it a speculation for submitting an application in NA secretariat to sit on opposition benches.
Meanwhile, the sources claimed that the JUI-F would part ways with the government and submit an application to sit on opposition benches if there issues were not addressed.
JUI-F has a long history of being coalition partner of both PPP andPML-N. This party had also quit government and prefer to sit on opposition benches in past.
As, in the mid of December 2010, Fazl had announced that his party was parting ways with the PPP-led coalition government at the Centre following the sacking of Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati.
Former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani had removed the JUI-F minister from the cabinet reportedly for ignoring his directives to stop accusing Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi for his alleged involvement in the Haj scam.
In a strong reaction, following the sacking of the JUI-F minister, two more JUI-F ministers, Rehmatullah Kakar, Minister for Housing and Works, and Maulana Attaur Rehman, Minister for Tourism, had also tendered their resignations.