That the Prime Minister visited someone at his home was significant in itself, as the PM is supposed to receive visitors at his own home rather than go calling, but recent politics made it even more significant when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence on Friday. This comes after a week in which President Asif Zardari called on the Maulana, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also visiting him. It is not known whether Mr Naqvi’s meeting was a follow-up of the meeting with the President, preparatory for the one with the PM, or was meant to convey a message of some third power centre, or some combination of all three. Mr Naqvi may be in Mr Sharif’s Cabinet with the most important of portfolios, but he is also considered very close to both President Zardari and the powers that be. The JUIF) has two attractions for the government. First is the fact that it has eight MNAs (including two women members) and five Senators. Second, though it was part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, and indeed the Maulana was its convener which toppled the PTI in 2023, it has recently grown closer to the PTI,and has joined it in its campaign for fresh elections.
The parliamentarians, particularly the MNAs, would be particularly welcome for a government which, because of the Supreme Court decision in the reserved seats case, now faces a PTI parliamentary party reinforced by reserved-seat members. With its majority cut drastically, it now needs as much support as it can get.
By staying out of the Cabinet, the PPP has preserved the freedom to avoid responsibility for any of the decisions the government has made, especially relating to utility tariff increases or other sources of inflation. So has the JUI(F), which is actually in the Opposition, while the PPP supports the government from outside. There was some speculation that Mr Sharif and President Zardari are still cobbling together a two-thirds majority that can pass a constitutional amendment, but the JUIF) alone cannot provide the numbers. However, the high level of activity indicates that, at a minimum, the government wants to keep the PTI from the Maulana. After all, unlike the President or PM, no Adiala Jail inmate can call on the Maulana.
