Pakistan Ulema Council to contest elections

Chairman Tahir Ashrafi says they can form alliance with any like-minded political party

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) has unanimously decided that it would contest the next general election along with all allied religious organisations of the country.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the PUC’s Central Executive Council (CEC) earlier this week.



The PUC announcement has come as a surprise as the organisation had been established 23 years back to promote sectarian harmony and develop consensus on religious matters among the various schools of thoughts.

PUC chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi told The Express Tribune that the PUC was registered as a political party with the Election Commission of Pakistan and had every right to take part in political activities, including the general election.

Sharing details about his party’s vision and manifesto, Ashrafi said, “We have taken this decision not to let down any political party but to keep a check and balance on those political parties that get off-track from their manifestos and consider themselves above the law.”



The PUC chairman said many political parties used the power of money to win elections and forgot the poor people of the country on returning to power. “We want to discourage such political parties and leaders who win election by using money and later suppress the poor,” he said.

“My political party wants a Pakistan where a poor person can easily contest election and where every citizen fully enjoys his human rights and has easy access to health and education facilities, among others,” he said.

The Maulana said his political party truly believed in democracy, adding that he wanted a Pakistan based on the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision and principle. He said his party’s manifesto “is not to impose Islam forcefully” but to run the country according to the Quran and Sunnah.



“Our religion teaches us equality, peace, brotherhood, justice for all and humanity, and we want all this in Pakistan,” he said.

Meanwhile talking about forming an alliance with other political parties, Ashrafi said, “We will form an alliance with any like-minded political party.”