Will leave country, but won’t become slaves to establishment: Fazl

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), declared in an interview with a private digital media platform on Friday that he would rather leave the country than submit to the establishment.

“The establishment has deliberately divided our strength in the elections,” Rehman said, criticising the manipulation in the political process. “We are witnessing forced adjustments in government formation,” he added.

Rehman claimed that more rigging occurred in the 2024 elections than in 2018, leading to an enforced adjustment in forming the government. “Even now, it is the minority representation that is governing,” he noted.

“Besides fulfilling the numbers for the government, the PPP has no role,” Rehman stated, accusing the establishment of managing the situation. “We are on the ground against this.”

He announced the initiation of a nationwide movement, with a public rally scheduled for June 1 in Muzaffargarh, Punjab. “We have spent our entire lives supporting this democratic system,” Rehman said, but added, “From this country to America, democracy is just a façade.”

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Rehman reiterated his opposition to the establishment’s political interference, which he has opposed since 2018. “The establishment is determined to achieve their desired results at any cost,” he said. “Regardless of how the public perceives it, we do not accept this.”

“We cannot live as slaves,” Rehman asserted. “If it comes to it, we will leave the country, but we will not accept subjugation by the establishment.”

Rehman criticised the efforts to sideline any party serving Pakistan and called for improved relations with neighbouring countries. “This region should unite to form an Asia bloc, but the establishment remains the biggest obstacle,” he said.

Regarding India, he noted, “Our dispute with India was over Kashmir. Now that Kashmir has been given to them, this conflict should end.”