Fazl prefers improving economy over holding elections
Pakistan
The JUI-F chief wants PTI to quit politics for good
FAISALABAD (Dunya News) – Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his opinion on Saturday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should not continue to be involved in the country's politics, observing that the PTI-led government's performance had been dismal, and the party still maintains an anti-Pakistan agenda.
During an interaction with the media in Faisalabad, Fazlur Rehman firmly stated that Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), must return to Pakistan, his own country.
Regarding Nawaz Sharif's statement calling for accountability of judges and generals, Fazl chose not to offer a direct comment, stating, "If I were to offer a piece of advice, I would tell them that we took over the government to save the country from bankruptcy, as all the chaos had been created by the PTI."
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The JUI-F chief lamented that even after the merger, the people of the country's tribal belt, formerly known as FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), had not seen an end to their deprivation. He pointed out that only Rs 900 million in funds had been received since the 2017 annexation.
He also noted the absence of essential institutions such as police, administration and a finance department in FATA after the merger, emphasising that "they have not received their rightful share".
Fazl asserted that the decision to hold elections or not rested with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), citing the rise in terrorist activities in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. He also expressed difficulty in spearheading an election campaign in these areas, recalling the martyrdom of JUI-F scholars in bombings in the past.
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In response to a question, Fazl expressed reservations about holding elections in January due to severe cold and snow in the northern areas. “This may discourage voter turnout.”
Addressing another question, Fazl mentioned that the caretaker setup was established after a government that had saved the country from bankruptcy, the common man was not experiencing any relief as a result, as such.
