DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistan Democratic Movement president Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday said the multiparty opposition alliance would decide on Jan 2 about whether to take part in the coming by-elections or not.

Mr Fazl, who also heads the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, told reporters here that the opposition was united and its main demand was the prime minister’s resignation and free and fair elections in the country.

The PDM president said all member parties were completely complying with the decisions taken during the alliance meetings.

He said the opinion of one political party or a leader should not be linked with the affairs of the PDM.

Regarding a meeting between PML-Functional leader Mohammad Ali Durrani and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, Mr Fazl said the ‘Functional League’ was the B-team of the military establishment and it was doing the tasks assigned to it.

He flayed Prime Minister Imran Khan for urging him to surrender to the National Accountability Bureau over an assets inquiry and wondered in what capacity the premier had asked him to do so.

Fazl says parties of alliance united

“I am neither a military general nor a Niazi to surrender,” he said.

The NAB, an anti-corruption watchdog, has begun investigations against Maulana Rehman and his close aides regarding their assets.

With the investigations under way, Mr Fazl’s two aides have been taken into custody for interrogation.

When asked about rift in the party, the JUI-F leader said Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani’s dissent was being highlighted by the forces and elements, which supported the Jewish lobby.

“The manner in which the Jewish lobby, anti-Pakistan lobby, the ruling PTI and the government circles are highlighting the statements of Maulana Sheerani is enough to make a lot of things clear,” he said.

Mr Fazl said Israel was an enemy of Pakistan and his party had been running a campaign against the Jewish state and its agents.

He said his party would launch an anti-Israel campaign in the country very soon.

Peshawar Bureau adds: Former JUI-F provincial president Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan declared his expulsion from the party undemocratic and unconstitutional.

He told Dawn that he hadn’t received any written decision about his expulsion from the party and learned about it through the media.

Mr Naseeb, who had served as senator, said there was no provision in the party’s constitution, which authorised the central organisation to terminate the basic membership of a member.

He said the party should serve a show cause notice on any member and seek explanation within 15 days but it didn’t issue any such notice to him.

“The party’s district organisation has the authority to terminate the basic membership of a member, who can appeal the decision. That’s why the party’s decision regarding the termination of his membership is illegal and undemocratic,” he said.

When asked about his future line of action, Mr Naseeb said he would consult his supporters and well-wishers before making any decision.

The JUI-F has also terminated the basic membership of Maulana Shujaul Mulk, who had served as the provincial general secretary of the party.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2020