Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the president of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, on Sunday criticized recent meetings between the leaderships of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) in Dubai, questioning how they had occurred without taking the alliance into confidence.
“The PMLN is a part of PDM. How is it possible” that it could meet with the PPP—which is not part of the PDM—without taking the alliance into confidence, he questioned during an interaction with journalists in Peshawar. To a question on general elections, he said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already clarified that the incumbent government would no longer be in power after it completed its constitutional tenure next month. “After completion of the government’s tenure, we will have to go into the election. There are also difficulties in this regard,” he said, adding the parties comprising the PDM were not in an electoral alliance and would contest polls independently.
On the no-confidence motion that led to PTI chief Imran Khan’s ouster as prime minister, he reiterated that his party had resisted it, as it favored mass protests aimed at pressuring the PTI to step down. However, he continued, the PPP, PMLN and other opposition parties had said the no-confidence resolution against Khan was ready to be tabled. He recalled that he had maintained that none of the parties should have joined Parliament after the 2018 general elections, which he said were blatantly “rigged.”
The JUIF chief also alleged that former spy chief Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed had offered him the chairmanship of the Senate during a meeting, adding that he had refused the offer because the official had wanted him to “change the system.”
Responding to a question on the trials of civilians in military courts, Fazl said the military itself was a complainant in the May 9 riots case. “The military is a complainant in the cases against those involved in attacks on installations on May 9-10 and it wants a trial of suspects in their courts,” he said. To another question on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said all hurdles to reviving a stalled bailout program had been removed and the country’s foreign reserves were increasing. Acknowledging persistent issues with rampant inflation, he hoped these too subside as the country’s economy improved. He regretted that despite remaining with the West for 75 years, Pakistan was not permitted to fully utilize its resources for the good of its people. He claimed there was a “possibility” that Asia would lead the next global economic system, adding he favored a shift toward regional alliances.
The JUIF chief also questioned the “international support” for the PTI chief. “Those who desecrate our religion [Islam], those who burn the holy Quran are raising voices for Imran Khan. We put up a serious fight against him [Khan] and we [also] fought against the recognition of Israel,” he said.
To a question on militant assaults against the JUIF leadership in Bajaur and other tribal districts, Fazl claimed 18 religious scholars were targeted over the past 18 months. “Why Al Qaeda and Daesh could not be eliminated,” he questioned, adding security issues were the domain of the military and the Army discussed such issues only with the prime minister.