Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif invites former ally Fazlur Rehman to join his coalition

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday invited Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a former ally, to again join the ruling coalition, Dawn reported.

The premier also proposed the formation of a committee to address the prevailing political issues and asked the Maulana to join it.

Shehbaz Sharif is leading a coalition government in Pakistan led by his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Pakistan People's Party has given support to Sharif's party from outside but is not part of the government.

Dawn reported citing a source in the Pakistan PM office, that the JUI-F leader was asked to join the ruling alliance and also play his part by joining a proposed committee to resolve political tensions in the country.

However, a JUI-F spokesperson has said the Maulana refused to join the government at the request of the premier.

"I don't think it's true (that the JUI-F will join the government). Seeking power is not a part of our politics. We already had a better offer before the formation of the present government," he claimed.

Notably, Maulana Fazl led an opposition alliance, namely the Pakistan Democratic Movement, during the PTI government. The PDM later formed a government in the Centre, led by PM Shehbaz Sharif, after the ouster of Imran Khan in April 2022.

Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz also chaired a meeting to assess the implementation progress of directives requiring federal ministries and departments to use the Task Management System. He instructed federal secretaries and heads of departments to personally utilise the Task Management System (TMS).

Pakistan's federal government unveiled the 2024-25 budget on Wednesday, with a total outlay of PKR 18.9 trillion.

First-time Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the budget to the National Assembly, amid a massive uproar by the noisy opposition MPs of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which is supported by the Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The lawmakers raised anti-government banners, stood on their desks, and tore copies of the Finance Bill 2025.

PTI, in particular, has strongly criticized the budget terming it "poisonous" and a "bundle of contradictions."

The party alleged that the salaried class was "suffocated" by modifying the tax slabs, adding that despite making grandiose promises of a rescue package, it "cracked a joke" by only allocating PKR 5 billion for the agriculture sector, Geo News reported.