Growing differences between the Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) over the military operation in the NWFP have reached the point where leaders of both parties are not ready to sit together, even on the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari.Sources privy to the meeting held on Wednesday night at the Presidency told Daily Times that the leaders of both political parties protested to President Zardari inviting them together.
The sources said the president himself had to intervene on a number of times to calm the situation when both partiesÂ’ members exchanged harsh words followed by the JUI-F chiefÂ’s threat to walk out of the meeting.
“The acrimony reached the point that [JUI-F chief] Fazlur Rehman refused to share a table with [ANP chief] Asfandyar Wali Khan and other ANP parliamentarians,” the sources added.
Differences have deepened between the ANP and JUI-F after the launch of the military operation in Swat. The JUI-F has been opposing the military operation, calling for the holding of a dialogue with the Taliban.