PESHAWAR: Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman has said that the incumbent parliament has no mandate to amend the constitution, saying the government was making proposed amendments for vested interests.

Talking to media after becoming JUI-F chief unopposed for next five years, Fazal-ur-Rehman said that it was need of the hour that new general elections should be held in the country and true representatives of the public should be allowed to come in the parliament.

He said that the government wanted to impose martial law in the country with proposed amendment that was why JUI-F did not support the government.

He said that PPP and JUI-F were in talks over proposed document of the amendments. He said PTI too was preparing new amendments bill. He said JUI-F will not compromise on rule of law and the supremacy of the constitution. He urged all the stakeholders to share their proposed documents with each other. He said the government was also brining new amendments.

Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman said that the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was burning and all tribal areas are facing a war like situation. He said the tribal areas people are more concerned after their merger with KP.

He blamed that the US asked the government to merge these districts with the KP and he questioned how the US can dictate our government to do so. He told media that he had held meeting with General Bajwa and others and advised them against the merger. He claimed that he was told that there was pressure from the US. He demanded that federal government should release promised Rs800 billion for the FATA districts, as theses districts have obtained only 1 billion rupee till now.

Rehman claimed that the control of the provincial governments has ended in KP and Balochistan provinces as armed groups are calling the shots in both provinces.

To a question about CM Gandapur’s statement regarding arson attack, Fazl said that his statement is not even worth mentioning as it is a childish statement. He said that political differences should be respected and there was no room for childish talks. He said JUI-F cannot support provinces fighting each other or a province fighting the federation. He made it clear that stopping PTI from staging rally is unconstitutional and undemocratic. He demanded that central government should give permission for rallies and meetings. He claimed that JUI-F mandate was stolen in KP and their mandate was given to PTI. He said, “We are holding rallies and demonstrations across the country. He asked who has held bigger demonstrations and rallies than us.

He claimed: “JUI-F will prove more dangerous if we come to the streets, and we raise our voice against the constitutional amendment at the public level.” He

Said: “Our State Bank is in the hands of the IMF, Our budget is being made by the IMF and all our matters are being governed by the foreigners.”

Talking about Gaza, he said “Israel wants to expand the war to the Arab world. Lebanon’s attack can engulf the whole world”.

Earlier, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman was elected unopposed as the leader of Jamiat Ulema e Islam -Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) for the next five years.

The central general council’s electoral meeting for intra-party elections of JUI-F was held at Mufti Mahmood Centre in Peshawar, attended by approximately 1,500 members from across the country.

In the meeting, Maulana Fazlur Rehman was once again elected unopposed as the leader of JUI for the next five years, while Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was elected unopposed as the General Secretary.

The JUI-F was originally established in 1945 by Shabbir Ahmad Usmani as a pro-Pakistan offshoot of the Jamiat Ulema e Hind. The party later split into different factions, with the most prominent being JUI-F (Fazlur Rehman group) and JUI-S (Samiul Haq group). The JUI-F faction, led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, emerged in 1988.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman became the leader of JUI-F in 1980, following the death of his father, Mufti Mahmud. He has been a significant political figure in Pakistan, known for his influence and leadership within the party.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024