Parting ways: JUI-F Haripur chief calls it quits

Accuses party supremo of corruption, announces new Jamiat faction

HARIPUR: Haripur’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl district chief Pir Alamzeb Shah has parted ways with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and launched JUI-Ghulam Ghaus Hazarvi.

Unhappy over the methods of the party’s central leadership, Shah addressed a press conference at his residence on Friday. The decision was imminent since Shah contested the NA-19 (Haripur) by-polls independently and managed to only secure 2,300 votes. He said he was denied the party ticket 48 hours before Election Day when Rehman announced support for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Babar Nawaz Khan.

However, he still has not lost hope of a political future and instead announced the formation of a new party to counter JUI-F. Reading out from a list of accusations, Shah said Rehman introduced the culture of corruption in politics after issuing Senate tickets against hefty sums.

“Azam Swati, Senator Talha Mehmood and Frontier Medical College Abbottabad’s owner’s wife Shaheena Jamil paid him good money for the party ticket to the Upper House.” He accused the party chief of collecting millions during the formation of the caretaker cabinet before the 2013 general elections. “None of the beneficiaries ever worked for the party while those who rendered sacrifices were ignored.”

Shah, who claimed to be a JUI-F loyalist for four decades, said whenever a lower cadre leader voices concerns, he is made the scapegoat. “Despite the odds I have always said what I felt should have been done.” The leader said Rehman ruined the party by using it for his personal motives. “JUI-F was the B Team of General (retd) Musharraf, Zardari and now Nawaz Sharif.”

Announcing his resignation from the basic party membership and district portfolio, Shah said he has named his new front after a prominent religious leader of Hazara.

When approached for a comment, JUI-F leader Syed Qaviullah Shah denied the charges levelled against Rehman.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2015.