JUI-F backs Achakzai for NA opposition leader after PTI talks

ISLAMABAD: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has agreed to support the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) nomination of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai for the post of opposition leader in the National Assembly.

The understanding was reached after a PTI delegation called on JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his Islamabad residence, according to a statement issued by the JUI-F on Thursday.

The PTI team, comprising Asad Qaiser, KP President Junaid Akbar, and Shahram Khan Tarakai, requested the JUI-F’s backing for Achakzai, who represents the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), which includes six parties led by the PTI.

Fazl, accompanied by Maulana Salahuddin Ayubi, Advocate Jalaluddin, and his son Maulana Asjad Mehmood, agreed to endorse Achakzai’s nomination, the JUI-F said. The post has remained vacant since August 5, when PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan was disqualified.

The meeting also covered the prevailing political and regional situation, with the PTI delegation appealing to Fazl to help unify the opposition in parliament. The two sides discussed cooperation over a vacant Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the possibility of convening a national jirga to address law and order issues in the province — a proposal welcomed by Fazl.

Following the meeting, TTAP said in a post that Asad Qaiser briefed Achakzai on his discussion with Fazl and that the alliance planned to hold a series of public gatherings across the country in November.

The development marks a shift in the opposition’s dynamics, as JUI-F’s support could consolidate the TTAP’s position in parliament. Earlier this week, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had downplayed the likelihood of JUI-F backing the PTI’s nominee, citing political differences.

Separately, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also met Fazlur Rehman earlier in the week to discuss joint strategies on national issues, indicating continued political realignment efforts among opposition parties.