The JUI-F has firmly denied reports suggesting an internal faction within the party. Party officials stress that all lawmakers will follow directives regarding the proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment. This denial follows claims that a small group of four to five parliamentarians may support the amendment.
These members reportedly believe JUI-F should endorse judicial reforms included in the proposal. In a statement to the media, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri dismissed these rumors. He stated, “There is no truth to the claims. We are in regular contact with all our members.” Ghauri added that, out of the party’s eight MNAs and five senators, “only Senator Abdul Ghafoor has not been reachable currently, but we are making efforts to get in touch with him.”
He also highlighted that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman instructed all members to vote according to the party’s official policy under Article 63(A) of the Constitution. After a meeting with PTI leadership late Thursday, Fazl reiterated that JUI-F rejected the government’s initial draft of the 26th amendment. He stated, “We continue to reject the initial draft even today.” However, he noted that “some issues are still open for discussion.”
Fazl expressed concerns regarding the alleged harassment of opposition members. He said, “On one hand, negotiations are taking place, and on the other, members are being abducted and offered large incentives.”
In another meeting overnight at his residence in Islamabad, top leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, reassured Fazl. They aimed to convince him to accept most proposals in the Constitutional amendment. Despite these discussions, the JUI-F leader remained firm. He insisted that the government first address the issue of missing lawmakers from his party.
