JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Departs for Private Visit to Thailand

Sunday witnessed the departure of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), for a private visit to Thailand. The JUI-F spokesperson, Aslam Ghauri, dismissed media reports suggesting that the party leader had traveled to London to meet with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif amidst the ongoing political crisis in the country.

However, the spokesperson did confirm on Saturday night that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had indeed left the country but clarified that London was not his intended destination. Instead, he mentioned that the JUI-F Chief embarked on a "private trip."

Sources close to the matter indicate that Maulana Fazlur Rehman decided to travel to Thailand due to exhaustion from his extensive political engagements within the country. During his visit, he is also expected to meet members of the Pakistani community residing in Thailand, which is a popular tourist destination.

Rumors regarding his visit to London had sparked speculation, particularly in light of the ongoing political turmoil in the country, which further escalated following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The arrest of Imran Khan led to nearly three days of violent protests, with reports of unruly protesters allegedly attacking defense and public installations across the country. Consequently, both civil and military leadership announced the trial of the rioters under the Army Act.

Since then, numerous PTI leaders and lawmakers have departed from the party due to the May 9 vandalism, while thousands of workers have been detained for their alleged involvement in the riots.

In response to the situation, the PTI recently formed a seven-member team to negotiate with the incumbent government, as directed by their chairman. The negotiation team comprises Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Vice Chairman of PTI, along with former defense minister Pervez Khattak, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, and former ministers Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, and Aun Abbasi.

However, the offer for negotiation made by the PTI has been rejected by Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, who stated on Saturday that talks cannot be held with those who attacked the state.

In light of the political landscape, these developments continue to shape the narrative as various parties seek to address the ongoing challenges and restore stability to the country.