Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), expressed grave concerns over the alleged “stealing of the public mandate” in the general elections, terming them more bogus than the 2018 polls.
In a press conference on Wednesday, he criticized institutions for manipulating election results to consolidate their power.
Rehman, who has consistently condemned the February 8, 2024 election, cited the recent by-election in Balochistan for the provincial constituency PB-45 (Quetta-8) as a prime example of electoral fraud.
The by-election, in which the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate was declared the winner by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), was followed by a strike in Balochistan led by the JUI-F.
“The institutions manipulate election results to strengthen their authority,” Rehman said, adding that political compromises are often made for the sake of power. He also emphasized that authoritarian forces grow stronger because of the weaknesses of politicians.
The JUI-F chief further warned that any institution that transgresses its constitutional limits must reassess its conduct. “All institutions must remain within their constitutional framework,” he said, arguing that Parliament has become ineffective.
Calling for fresh elections, Rehman questioned why the country should accept a rigged election, saying, “If elections can be rigged, why not hold early elections?”
Responding to questions, the JUI-F chief expressed support for the ongoing talks between the ruling coalition and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He stated, “I am a politician and always support talks. There are good hopes from the talks between the government and PTI.”
He also reiterated his stance that politicians should not be jailed, wishing that problems could be resolved through dialogue.
