PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said here on Saturday that an act of a judge protecting a particular party through judicial decisions would have far-reaching consequences for the country.

Speaking at a ceremony arranged for welcoming PPP leader Fakhar Azam from Bannu into the JUI-F fold at his party’s provincial headquarters, he said they respected the judiciary as an institution.

Mr Fazl said that when a judge became controversial and assumed upon himself to protect a party by using his court judgment then such decisions would have far-reaching consequences.

“Do not look at the quick results when you provide relief to a party immediately, as in the long run such decisions destroy countries,” he said.

JUI-F chief says parties ruling centre to contest by-polls together

The JUI-F chief said that as an institution they had no issue with the judiciary, but the question arose why the same three judges would hear cases about Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan as if they were not judges, but PTI workers.

He said some individuals from within used their institutions to forge cases against the JUI-F leaders.

Mr Fazl said those lecturing them about independence were themselves progeny of slaves of British Raj. He said PTI chief Imran Khan himself campaigned for a conservative friend of Israel, who was contesting elections against a Pakistani-origin British national in the run for the London mayor.

He also alleged that the US Consulate kept paying rent of the PTI chief’s house for about nine years. He said at least 15 members of Imran Khan’s cabinet were US and European nationals and yet he was lecturing others about independence.

In contrast to this, Mr Fazl said that his own elders had a history of 100 years long struggle against the British.

He said they wanted to convey to the institutions they would not bow before anyone wielding powers.

Referring to Imran Khan, he said all the political parties irrespective of their political orientations had joined hands to defeat the ‘anti-national element’ which had the foreign support and funding as well.

The JUI-F chief said people from within the institutions were also backing them, adding that such people only came to the surface when they changed their uniform.

He said the PDM and ruling allies would contest the coming by-elections like one party.“We need to save this country and its geography,” he said.

He said that while PTI chief was preaching honesty to other politicians, a single person purchased the loyalties of the entire Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly members.

The JUI-F chief said that the Constitution provided for the local government and its powers. However, he said that when the ruling party lost the local government polls in the province, it changed rules and snatched powers from the elected representatives.

He said the LG representatives should take to streets against this power grab which was otherwise impossible through writs and courts.

Referring to delay in loan tranche by IMF, he questioned why America despite being an ally was creating economic problems for Pakistan.

He said the situation in which the country was pushed for past four years could not be corrected in four months. “We have been facing difficulties, but we are working to get out of this situation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2022