Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of Jamiat Ulemae Islam (JUI-F), while expressing concerns about the current parliament’s capability to make significant amendments, has emphasised the need for genuine elections to ensure that true representatives of the people are elected. He asserted that the current parliament does not have the mandate to make constitutional amendments and that the sovereignty of the parliament should not be compromised. Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his concerns over the government’s lack of consideration for proper priorities. He revealed that former Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had mentioned that the merger of FATA was under pressure from the United States. Fazlur Rehman questioned how Pakistan could be considered an independent country if such decisions were made under external pressure. Fazlur Rehman criticised the government’s approach towards making substantial amendments for political purposes.

He advocated for judicial reforms and the establishment of a constitutional court, stressing that no political party should have ulterior motives. Reflecting on the recent legislative phase, he mentioned that the next phase will reveal the government’s proposed draft. He reiterated the importance of bringing reforms related to the judiciary rather than individuals and emphasised that amendments should be made with consensus to avoid political turmoil. Fazlur Rehman disclosed that a recent draft was rejected as it was deemed unacceptable while reaffirming his support for a constitutional court, a concept agreed upon in the Charter of Democracy. Despite anomalies in elections, he assured that his party would remain active in the political arena. Highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rehman remarked that the region was in a better state before the tribal areas’ merger.

He lamented that the province is currently engulfed in turmoil, facing more challenges post-merger. He reiterated his stance that the merger was premature and called for a referendum to correct what he sees as a mistake. According to Fazlur Rehman, the people of FATA should be asked what they want through a referendum. Fazlur Rehman also disclosed that Bajwa and Naveed Mukhtar had met him in Parliament, where he warned them that the decision to merge FATA was untimely. Despite his warnings, they insisted that the merger was due to American pressure. He criticized the allocation of funds to the merged districts, stating that they should have received 800 billion rupees by now, but only 100 billion have been allocated.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan