JUI-F won't bow to rigged govt: Fazl

Says struggle and fight against rulers 'inevitable'

HYDERABAD:

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the people's vote was stolen in the February 8 general elections and that they are not ready to pledge an alliance with rulers who came into power through a rigged poll.

"A vote is a pledge of allegiance. If it is used through rigging, lies, and money-making, it ceases to be a pledge. We are not ready to pledge allegiance to such rulers," Fazl said on Wednesday while speaking at a religious ceremony at a madrasa in Larkana.

"There will inevitably be a struggle against such rulers, and we will fight," he added.

He said that the PML-N government did not have a two-thirds majority at the time of the 26th Constitutional Amendment last year.

Fazl said the JUI-F through negotiations thwarted the government's "impure designs" and forced the ruling coalition to present a watered down version of the amendment in parliament.

He said through the amendment decisions were taken for the complete elimination of interest, the registration of religious seminaries, strengthening the Federal Shariat Court, and bringing the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology before parliament for debate.

"But a year has passed and nothing has happened, which reflects their ill intentions."

The JUI-F chief alleged that members were bought, their arms were twisted, and they were subjected to coercion to get the 27th amendment passed. "We do not accept the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed through coercion," he said.

The Maulana claimed that the rulers want to impose on Pakistan a concept of "bestiality" borrowed from Europe. "A law is being formulated in the country declaring marriage below the age of 18 as abuse and rape. I know that these assemblies have passed laws facilitating adultery," he remarked.

Fazl questioned the Islamic character of the state, saying, "What kind of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is this, and how can we take pride in being citizens of an Islamic country? The rulers are making adultery easier and creating obstacles for the right to marriage."

He said that in Europe gender is changed, where men are turned into women and women into men, and where there exists a concept of bestiality that reduces humans to animals.

"Our rulers want to impose this very concept on us. Their actions are suspicious, and they should seek forgiveness from the Almighty." The JUI-F chief said that they would make this country a complete Islamic republic, and that workers of the JUI-F would even make sacrifices for this cause.

"We cannot leave this country at your mercy. You are arrogant about being rulers, but I say you are not rulers; you came through rigging, you bought assemblies," he said.