• Bemoans ‘judicial martial law’
• Claims system ‘still rigged in PTI’s favour’
• Says Afghanistan has officially invited him for a visit
• Urges world to take notice of Israel’s war crimes

ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday expressed concern over the state of election affairs in the country, questioning the independence of the Election Commission and the imposition of what he described as “an environment of judicial martial law”.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Rehman emphasised that his party had repeatedly highlighted these issues and yet faced accusations of evading elections.

Underscoring the necessity for an environment conducive to fair elections, free from judicial interference, the JUI-F leader raised doubts about the legitimacy of poll outcomes in the context of potential low voter turnout due to bad weather and security concerns.

“We have been informed by district administrations that the security situation is dangerous and that we cannot campaign for elections,” he said, warning of holding the chief election commissioner and the Chief Justice of Pakistan accountable if any JUI-F worker is harmed during the election process.

Stressing that a level playing field should be provided to all political parties to contest elections, he alleged that the system was still treating Imran Khan as a ladla (blue-eyed) and he did not see any pressure on the PTI, especially given the recent court decisions.

He drew attention to the unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, advocating for a peaceful environment for all political parties to carry out election campaigns and go to the public.

On Fata’s merger with KP, Mr Rehman insisted that the people of the tribal areas should have the right to decide their future.

He reiterated JUI-F’s long-standing goal of transforming Pakistan into a complete Islamic state, governed by the principles of the Holy Quran and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to give an Islamic identity to our country even today, even though the Constitution requires us to give Islamic identity to Pakistan,” he added.

On the international front, he expressed his desire for peace and negotiations with neighbouring countries. “We want to resolve the Kashmir issue according to the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” he added.

The JUI-F chief said he wanted brotherly and stable relations with Afghanistan and would also want to invite India to the negotiating table to have long-lasting peace with both countries.

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Mr Rehman also disclosed an invitation from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan for a visit, which he plans to undertake before the Feb 8 general election.

Condemning Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, he labelled Israel a “terrorist state” and called for global attention to its war crimes. He also expressed solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian cause.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023