Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F), lambasted the recently concluded 2024 elections in Pakistan, accusing them of surpassing the previous record of rigging set during the 2018 polls.
Fazl made these assertions during a press conference in Karachi, where he claimed that mounting international pressure forced Pakistan’s military establishment to yield, thus influencing the election outcome.
“The establishment’s coercion will indeed be labelled as coercion. The establishment has divided its own ranks, accommodating some at one place and others elsewhere,” he stated, addressing the alleged interference in the electoral process.
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Expressing dismay over the dwindling significance of the Parliament, Fazl remarked, “The Parliament, where we see a mockery of democracy, is no longer representative of the people. The Parliament, which we witness, will have some individuals calling themselves rulers. They may govern bodies but cannot govern the hearts of the nation.”
Despite his inclination to support Mahmood Achakzai, the candidate backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Fazl indicated that his party’s stance compels them to act otherwise.
He dismissed the prospect of forming alliances with allied parties, citing an inadequate environment for a grand alliance. “We will be where the opposition benches are. We will go to Parliament and protest,” he asserted.
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JUI-F chief pledged to engage with provincial councils and workers in Karachi to devise a nationwide strategy for change. “Assemblies have been bought with money, and if governments are formed through such means, we remain uninvolved. We do not accept this robbery, and those involved in this are criminals,” he declared.
Questioning the legitimacy of the 2024 elections compared to the 2018 polls, Fazl remarked, “PTI received the same mandate as in 2018, but if there was fraud then, why not now? We stand by our position, but we will enter Parliament with reservations and refrain from participating in votes.”
Fazl’s comments come amidst growing concerns over the transparency and fairness of the electoral process in Pakistan, with opposition parties raising allegations of widespread rigging and undue influence.
