Daily Times

After being re-elected as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief for five years, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has slammed the incumbent government, saying that the “fake parliament” lacks a real mandate for a major constitutional amendment.

“We want a fresh [general] election,” Fazl said while addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the party’s intra-party poll in Peshawar on Sunday. “This parliament does not deserve this huge constitutional amendment.”

The government pushed the proposed constitutional package amid speculation about a potential extension in the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire in October this year, following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request last month for the early issuance of a notification regarding the appointment of the next top judge.

The ruling coalition left no stone unturned to woo Fazl, with leaderships of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holding a flurry of meetings with the cleric, but to no avail.

Detailing ongoing consultations with the PPP and the major opposition party – PTI, he said that the JUI-F and the said parties would share their draft amendments.

The cleric stressed that such amendments should be brought forward which provides relief to the masses and strengthen democracy without compromising the sovereignty of parliament. “Judicial reforms should not be individual-centric.”

The politico, who led the previous multi-party alliance – Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – that successfully ousted former prime minister Imran Khan from office in April 2022, criticised the government for disallowing the Imran-founded party to hold public gatherings and called it an undemocratic step.

He added that the PTI should be given permission to hold power shows. However, he slammed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s threatening tone and termed it a “childish attitude”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif extended his congratulations to Maulana Fazl on his unanimous and unopposed election as president of JUI-F for the upcoming five-year term.

In his congratulatory message, the prime minister remarked that under Fazl’s leadership, JUI-F has always effectively represented the people. He emphasised that Fazl’s election as the head of JUI-F will foster democratic values, also acknowledging his significant role in reinforcing the supremacy of parliament in the country.