ISLAMABAD, May 16: Desperate to join government at the centre and in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman received a cold response from the PML-N on Thursday on his request to make joint efforts to stop the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf from forming its government in KP.

“PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has already categorically stated that the PTI has the first right to form the government in KP as it is the single largest party there,” former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif told reporters after his meeting with a delegation of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, at the farm house residence of Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, an MNA-elect from Islamabad.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Mohammad Akram Durrani accompanied Maulana Fazl. Mr Sharif was assisted by PML-N’s secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Pir Sabir Shah and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

Sources in the PML-N told Dawn that the meeting had taken place on the request of the JUI-F chief, who had come to convince the PML-N leadership that all parties had an equal right to try to form governments in provinces and the centre.

The sources said the PML-N had advised Maulana Fazl to wait and allow the PTI to form government in KP.

The PML-N, they said, had also advised him to respect the PTI’s mandate.

“In case the PTI fails to form government for any reason, only then we should make such an attempt,” a PML-N member, who was present in the meeting, quoted Shahbaz Sharif as having told the Maulana.

Maulana Fazl, whose party had secured 13 seats out of 99 general seats in the KP Assembly, has refused to accept the PTI’s mandate.

The PTI has already reached an agreement with the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Qaumi Watan Party of Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao to form a coalition government in KP.

Both the PML-N and the JUI-F, however, discussed the possibilities of joining hands at the Centre and in Balochistan.

Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said the challenges faced by the country needed to be addressed jointly. He said the PML-F was their ally in Sindh whereas party chief Nawaz Sharif wanted to take all political parties onboard to tackle terrorism, corruption and the energy crisis.

The JUI-F chief said that no decision had been made in the meeting regarding formation of the government in Balochistan and at the centre. “We have called a party meeting and will take the matter forward after taking everyone’s opinion. We will continue with our cooperation,” the Maulana said.

Mohammad Asghar adds: Later, PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting with six newly-elected independent National Assembly members from Fata at a hotel in Rawalpindi and sought their cooperation in formation of the government.

Mr Sharif was accompanied by Capt Safdar, Raja Ashfaq Serwar, Amir Maqam and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra in the meeting, according to a source.

MNAs-elect from Fata who met Mr Sharif were Bilal-ur-Rehman from Mohamand Agency, Shahji Gul (Khyber Agency), Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal (Orakzai), Sajid Tori (Kurram), Bismillah Khan, the father of the KP governor, and Mohammad Nazir Khan (Waziristan).