QUETTA: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, president of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), has said that the “government is not running, it is being run” (chal nahin rahi, chalayi ja rahi hai).

“We know who runs [the government] and who is being run. A government run on support is not called government,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference at the residence of Maulana Abdul Wasay, the provincial emir of the JUI-F, here on Tuesday, Maulana Fazl said the government wanted all (crucial) legislation to be passed before Novem­ber 19. He said that the PDM would challenge the legislation in court.

“Pressure is being exerted on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) allies to vote for the legislation in the joint sitting of parliament and on the opposition members not to attend the session,” he added.

Alleges PTI allies are being pressurised to vote for legislation

In an apparent reference to the allegations levelled by former chief judge of the apex court of Gilgit Baltistan Rana Mohammad Shamim about former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nasir’s role in denial of bail to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, the JUI-F chief said the judges’ affidavits had tarnished the image of the judicial system.

He said that three to four judges had already submitted affidavits and called for a judicial inquiry into the latest episode. “If such institutions are ‘set up’ then we can understand the reasons behind the statements of the judges,” he added.

Replying to a question, the Maulana said that the government “is not running, it is being run. We know those who is running the government and who is being run. We have a lot to say but we are reluctant to say anything in order to save the country’s conditions from worsening.”

Maulana Fazl said the government did not have a majority in parliament. “The PTI allies are not ready to vote for the legislation. We have reports on who was taken to a safe house,” he said. “Opposition members have been telephoned and told not to attend the joint session of parliament. The government has a majority of four to five votes by force and coercion.”

The PDM chief said that if there was no regard for law, it would mean that the country was being run under oppression.

He said that under the present government, people should not expect smooth supply of gas and electricity and reduction in prices of petrol.

He said that contacts with the Pakistan Peoples Party did not mean a serious process of its return to the PDM had started. “Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari came to visit me. We have never stopped anyone from coming to our house.” Maulana Fazl said that he did not know about the meetings of Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz with the military leadership.

He said that the government did not give the people even the “right to cry”. Prime Minister Imran Khan had no vision, no thinking and no philosophy, he said. Those who had campaigned for the PTI [in 2018 elections] were worried today, he added.

“People are finding it hard to feed their children; they are committing suicide but incompetent rulers are using every possible tactic to prolong their rule and enslaving 220 million people of Pakistan.”

He said the PDM was fighting for the liberation of the nation.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, National Party chief Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, PML-N senior vice president Sardar Yaqub Nasir, Jamal Shah Kakar, Malik Sikandar Khan, Hafiz Hamdullah, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Abdul Qahar Wadran and Ismatullah Salem were also present at the press conference.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2021