Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of JUI-F, expressed strong criticism on Tuesday against his former coalition partners, the PPP and PML-N. He pointed out that both parties had initially approved the results of the new census in a cabinet meeting and were now calling for immediate elections as new constituencies were being delineated based on these results.
Addressing a press conference in Multan, he expressed his confusion over this political stance and emphasized that, since the census had been approved, upcoming elections should be conducted in accordance with its data. He mentioned that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a political alliance he led, had also endorsed elections based on the new census results.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman highlighted that elections held on the basis of the new census would result in new constituencies, with some existing ones being discontinued and new ones being established. This, in turn, would necessitate a change in the entire electoral schedule.
Furthermore, he opposed the idea of conducting general elections in January, citing concerns about the extremely cold weather in northern areas, making it challenging for voters to reach polling stations in harsh conditions.
During an earlier event, the JUI-F chief emphasized his party’s dedication to fighting for people’s rights and acknowledged the significant sacrifices made by clerics in this regard. He praised the clerics for their role in shaping Pakistan’s Constitution and contributing to the legislative process, stating that they had also been involved in government affairs and had partially overseen ministries.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman mentioned that following the Million March, the JUI-F had gained recognition as a major political party and intended to increase its parliamentary strength.
He asserted that if his party was unjustly removed from assemblies due to electoral rigging, they would protest vigorously. He also commented on the common occurrence of slogans for an ‘ideal’ without considering who was behind them.
In response to the JUI-F chief’s press conference, PPP Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi stated that his party had also advocated for holding general elections within 90 days in a cabinet meeting. He pointed out that the Constitution required general polls to be held within 90 days of assembly dissolution and clarified that the JUI-F chief’s request did not guarantee the elections would take place.
Kundi challenged Maulana Fazlur Rehman to disclose the terms under which his party connected the Legal Framework Order (LFO) to the Constitution and claimed that it was PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s long march that forced the “puppet,” referring to PTI chief Imran Khan, to relinquish power and flee. He raised questions about the motivation behind the JUI-F chief’s decision to end his own long march.
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