ISLAMABAD: One of Pakistan’s main opposition parties, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), on Friday sacked four of its senior leaders who made critical statements about the anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of which JUI-F is part.
The PDM is an alliance of 11 opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and JUI-F, which was formed in September to start a countrywide campaign to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government and hold new elections.
The expelled JUI-F leaders — former Council of Islamic Ideology chairman Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and Maulana Shuja-ul-Mulk — last week criticized the party’s involvement in the PDM, with Sherani saying that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman joined the anti-government alliance for “personal gains.”
“The party’s central executive committee has made a unanimous decision,” JUI-F spokesman Maulana Muhammad Ghauri said in a statement, referring to the expulsion of the four senior party members.
He added that the party has “no link to any statement or opinion of the expelled leaders.”
On Sunday, Sherani said that the PDM cannot topple Khan’s government. He also took a jibe at the JUI-F leader himself who he said was “selected,” in reference to Rehman’s and PDM’s claim that Khan was not elected in 2018 but “selected” by state agencies.
Other expelled leaders had also raised their voices against the anti-government movement, which after a series of mass rallies in planning a long march on Islamabad if Khan does not resign by Jan. 31.
Sabookh Syed, an expert on religio-political parties, said the expulsion of the four senior members from the JUI-F would send a negative message to its workers at the grassroots level, but was unlikely to impact the overall anti-government movement.
“The expulsion of these leaders just over a difference of opinion over the anti-government movement is not a good omen for the party,” Syed told Arab News, adding that the expelled leaders have a huge followership in their respective constituencies and the decision will affect the party’s popularity.
“The JUI-F chief has in fact tried to crush dissent within the party through this expulsion order,” Syed said. “But it will keep haunting him for a long time.”
Pakistani opposition party expels leaders after criticism of anti-government movement
https://arab.news/m3fux
Pakistani opposition party expels leaders after criticism of anti-government movement
- Expelled leaders said the anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement cannot topple Imran Khan
- The expulsion of four senior party members is expected to affect the popularity of JUI-F on the grassroots level
Pakistan, Qatar resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistan premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense minister to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif and his Qatari counterpart also discussed regional issues, including developments in Gaza and broader Gulf security. PM Sharif appreciated Qatar’s constructive diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalate tensions in the region, according to Sharif’s office.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Qatar and to remain in touch on current bilateral, regional and international issues.
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
