Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday appeared to end speculation over whether his party would join the ‘Grand opposition Alliance’ led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying the JUIF would undertake a solo fight against the government.
Speaking with journalists at his residence in Dera Ismail Khan, he said the party could opt for cooperation with opposition parties on various issues of mutual concern. However, he said, his party did not have a positive impression of its most recent alliance—with the Pakistan Democratic Movement, though he did not single it out by name—and preferred to remain solo.
To a question on whether this meant talks between the PTI and JUIF had collapsed, Fazl said his paety had “deep ideological differences” with the PTI that could not be bridged though they had found common ground on some issues. To another question on whether he still regarded Imran Khan as a “foreign agent,” the JUIF chief replied in the affirmative. “I called him a foreign agent because of proof I had and his affiliation with Zac Goldsmith, but if I am talking with PTI leaders, it is about rigging in elections and not about changing my views,” he added.
The JUIF chief claimed secular parties were trying to establish liberal democracy in the country while the religious parties wanted to establish an Islamic system. However, despite these differences, he said all political parties should unite on protecting the Constitution, fair elections, and national security.
Stressing that friendship and enmity were not permanent in politics, Fazl said such shifting alliances helped produce intellectual and political evolution in democratic societies. He said he had no personal enmity with any party, but agreed with them on some policy issues. “Instead of trying to convince me by promises, convince us with policies and practical steps,” he said of the ruling coalition. To a question, he said there were no plans for an alliance of religious parties.
On his recent meeting with Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen, the JUIF leader said he had advised the rights activist to consult all political leaders, including the ANP’s Asfandyar Wali and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sirajul Haq. He said national security was a top priority and his meeting with Pashteen had sought to find a balance for the oppressed regions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. “We will promote a narrative of the struggle for rights by staying within the country’s geography and abiding by the Constitution,” he added.