Photo courtesy JUIF
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday stressed that stabilizing the economy was a far more pressing issue for Pakistan than conducting timely general elections.
Addressing a press conference in Sahiwal, he maintained that while all political parties comprising the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance—which comprised the former government—were ready for elections, improving the economy was more importance right now. Warning that countries with struggling economic could not sustain themselves as independent nations, he recalled that his party had been demanding fresh polls for over three years.
The JUIF chief also reiterated concerns earlier voiced by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that conducting elections at the end of January would prove difficult in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as the winter weather would impact voter turnout and snowbound locales might face issues in setting up accessible polling stations. However, he maintained, despite these concerns, his party would not seek any further delay in polls.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last month announced it would conduct general elections in the last week of January. While it did not specify a date, the announcement has invited criticism over the polls not taking place within the constitutionally stipulated period, as well as the issues that could arise in northern regions from conducting polls during winter.
To a question, Rehman held the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former prime minister Imran Khan responsible for the prevailing economic crisis. He claimed that Khan had left behind foreign exchange reserves of $2 billion upon his ouster through a vote of no-confidence, which the PDM government had raised to $11 billion while repaying $6 billion in debt. However, these claims are not supported by data provided by the State Bank of Pakistan, which show that total reserves stood at $17 billion when Khan was ousted on April 8, 2022.
“It is Imran Khan who is responsible for the economic, judicial and governance crises,” maintained the JUIF leader, warning that Pakistan risked international isolation if the PTI returned to power. “It is out of the question that Imran, who is the product of a fake and bogus election, will return to power again,” he claimed, adding that neither he, nor his party, desired Khan’s disqualification from politics.
“He [Khan] has been disqualified because of his performance; his disqualification is a direct result of his own rule, governance and policies,” he claimed, adding that PTI leaders facing cases must clear their names in courts if they wished to contest the elections.
To another question on the extended tenure of the incumbent caretaker setup, Rehman said he was “completely against” the concept of an interim government. “I don’t recognize the caretaker government because in [it], ‘caretakers’ are someone else,” he said, in a likely reference to the military establishment.
Responding to a query on the future of the PDM alliance, Rehman echoed other comprising parties in saying that it had become “ineffective,” as it was a government alliance, and not an electoral alliance. To another question on the Oct. 21 return of PMLN leader Nawaz Sharif, he said it was a welcome development.