Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), to discuss the country’s current political climate. The meeting took place Thursday at Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s residence in Islamabad.

The Prime Minister inquired about Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s well-being before engaging in discussions about the prevailing political situation. In addition to the Prime Minister, Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar and Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal were also present.

Several other JUI-F leaders, including Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rahman, Maulana Asad Mahmoud, and Muhammad Aslam Ghouri, also attended the meeting.

This meeting comes just days after Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman publicly declared the February 8, 2024, elections fraudulent and called for the government to resign and announce new elections.

He had previously stated, following a dinner with opposition parties at Asad Qaiser’s residence on February 4th, that all parties agreed the election was rigged and its mandate illegitimate. He further accused the establishment of manipulating the mandate to install a government of their choosing, asserting that they had no right to remain in power and should immediately resign and call for fresh elections.

He also criticized the Election Commission for failing to conduct fair elections, noting that their constitutional term had ended, although the government had allowed them to continue their duties. He implied this extension was politically motivated.