Fazl cautions against jibes at him for accepting presidential nomination

Refusing to withdraw from the presidential run, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Fazlur Rehman explained that all parties in the grand anti-PTI alliance support him except Pakistan Peoples Party.

The decision to withdraw Aitzaz Ahsan’s nomination has to be done by only one party [PPP] while 10 parties will have to consent for his nomination withdrawal, Fazl said in Geo News show Jirga.

Fazl was responding to PPP’s requests to him to withdraw in favour of its candidate, Ahsan, after the opposition failed to field a joint candidate against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Arif Alvi.

Fazl cautioned against sneer comments against him, which mocked him for taking up the opportunity himself when he was supposed to mediate between the two main opposition parties, PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Aitzaz Ahsan is the one whom no one is agreeing upon, he said, adding that there should be consensus on the nominee agreed upon by all opposition parties.

The grand opposition had agreed to field a joint candidate for the presidential election, scheduled to take place on September 4, but differences emerged soon after. PML-N refused to support Ahsan and asked PPP to field Yousuf Raza Gilani instead. The PPP, however, continues to stick with its original decision. Fazl, who was reportedly trying to get the both parties to agree on a joint candidate, was eventually nominated by the opposition except PPP.