• Says ‘fake parliament’ lacks mandate to amend Constitution
• Insists Fata merger a failure, carried out under US pressure
• JUI-F re-elects Fazl as party chief, Ghafoor Haideri picked as secretary-general

PESHAWAR: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday emphasised the need for consensus among political parties when enacting constitutional amendments to prevent political upheaval.

“We want constitutional amendments to be made with consensus, ensuring they do not trigger political unrest in the country,” Maulana Fazl said during a press conference following his re-election as JUI-F’s central emir for a five-year term by the party’s general council.

The JUI-F chief opposed any amendments designed to benefit specific individuals or increase the powers of the security forces at the expense of fundamental rights, stressing that no party should seek political mileage through these amendments.

Referring to the government’s earlier draft of proposed constitutional amendments, the JUI-F chief noted that parliament had not been convened after his opposition, marking the end of the first phase of deliberations.

“In the next phase, we will see what draft the government brings forward. We are in contact with the PPP, and both parties are preparing their versions of the amendments to be shared with each other. Similarly, the PTI is also working on a draft and will share it with us,” he informed.

Maulana Fazl reiterated his support for the establishment of a constitutional court, a concept included in the 2006 Charter of Democracy. However, he cautioned against amendments that would undermine fundamental rights or increase the military’s visibility in civilian forums.

About an earlier attempt by the government to amend the Cons-titution, Maulana Fazl described it as an injustice, arguing that the “fake” parliament lacked the mandate to undertake such a task.

Despite the reservations, the JUI-F chief confirmed his party would continue to play its role in parliament. He criticised the government’s focus on extending the service tenure of specific judges, questioning why they were preoccupied with favouring certain individuals over others.

‘Fata merger a failure’

Responding to a question, the JUI-F chief claimed that the 2018 merger of Fata into Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa was carried out under pressure from the United States.

Recalling a meeting with then-army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the ISI chief in the Prime Minister’s office, Maulana Fazl said, “I told them that time is not ripe for Fata’s merger, but they insisted that they are facing American pressure.”

PTI rallies

Commenting on the government’s decision to block a PTI public rally, Maulana Fazl criticised the move as undemocratic, urging the authorities not to display narrow-mindedness.

He said the KP chief minister should not pit the provinces against each other or the province against the Centre.

Condemning the killing of Hez­bollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Mau­lana Fazl said, “Arab countries should now realise that Israel wanted to extend the war and it is not confined only to Palestinians.”

If the Arab world remained silent, this war would engulf the entire Arab world, he said. He suggested that the joint struggle could be led by Saudi Arabia, Mala­ysia, Indonesia, Egypt and Pakistan, as these five countries were in a position to defend the Muslim states.

Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman was re-elected unopposed for another five-year term as the emir of JUI-F, while Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was elected as the party’s general secretary.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, currently in London following his attendance at the UN General Assembly, extended congratulations to Maulana Fazl on his re-election as JUI-F president.

Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2024