QUETTA: Provincial chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey on Thursday alleged that massive rigging took place in the PB-36 Kalat elections and announced that the party had called a meeting of its provincial Majlis-e-Shura after Eid to decide whether to withdraw from the current democratic system and establish a “public assembly.”
Speaking to the reporters at his residence along with Senator Shakoor Khan Ghibzai and Maulana Khurshid Ahmed, he claimed that the elections were heavily manipulated and that similar rigging was expected in the upcoming by-election in Khuzdar.
He alleged that the 2024 general elections were not elections but an “auction,” claiming that a plan regarding Balochistan had been devised at a private hotel in Quetta and implemented during the PB-36 Kalat polls.
Wasey said the political parties were facing injustice, adding that his party had particularly been targeted. He also claimed that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the 2024 elections, candidates of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) were defeated to bring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf into power.
He further alleged that JUI-F candidates were defeated in several strongholds across Balochistan including Zhob, Loralai, Pishin and Qila Abdullah, despite the party’s long-standing presence in those areas.
He also alleged irregularities during re-polling at seven polling stations in Kalat, claiming that fewer ballot boxes were present than required and that several votes had gone missing. He said the party rejected the results of the re-polling in PB-36 Kalat.
Wasey said angry supporters had questioned whether they were being treated as equal citizens of Pakistan, adding that the party had urged them to remain patient and peaceful.
He said JUI-F would continue its struggle against what he described as injustice and oppression and would not lose hope.
Commenting on a video circulating on social media regarding Saeed Langove, he clarified that the individual involved in the incident was not the presiding officer but someone present in place of another official, which had angered the candidate.
The JUI-F leader said the party was seriously considering withdrawing from the current democratic system and setting up a public forum to raise people’s issues if the situation did not improve.
He said the provincial Shura meeting after Eid would discuss proposals regarding withdrawal from the system, and the decision would then be sent to the party’s central leadership.
Responding to a question about Afghanistan, he said the party had long supported the establishment of an Islamic system there and acknowledged that the Afghan interim government had restored peace beyond expectations. However, he expressed concerns over cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
He said the party favored resolving such issues through dialogue and diplomacy and had sent delegations to Afghanistan for this purpose.
He further said the party’s grievance was with the establishment, alleging that JUI-F had been subjected to rigging and injustice. He added that efforts would be made to unite all political parties in Balochistan to form a joint alliance
