CHARSADDA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said that holding immediate fresh elections in the country was essential to ensure national unity, public confidence and cohesion, claiming that people no longer trust the existing parliament.
Talking to reporters after offering condolences to the former JUIF lawmaker Maulana Gohar Shah over the death of his sister in Charsadda, he said it was no longer a hidden fact how election results were altered during polls.
He stressed the need for a functional working relationship between the federal government and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that political parties engaged in politics but governments were responsible for resolving public issues.
“No province can address public problems without the federation’s support,” he said, adding that a meeting between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should have taken place three months ago. He claimed governments formed through rigging could only make claims but fail to deliver, warning that wrongdoing often triggers dangerous reactions and urging restraint and caution.
The JUIF chief said the current government had failed to ensure law and order or economic stability, alleging that the country was surviving on “begging” and that international financial institutions had held Pakistan “hostage.”
Responding to a question, he rejected any notion of Pakistan’s division, saying no one could even think of such a move, but stressed that the rights of the people of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be addressed.
He accused the US of seeking instability across the world to maintain dominance, claiming Washington wanted Iran and Afghanistan to remain unstable.
Commenting on PTI’s protest politics, he remarked that he did not “see fuel” in PTI’s container, but said it was better for him to remain silent on such matters. He added that both the federal and provincial governments must fulfil their responsibilities regarding the Tirah issue and emphasised that consultation, political wisdom and strategy were essential to eliminate terrorism.
