Parties stand united against plot to delay polls: JUI-F

Maulana Fazlur Rehman says govt not taking Taliban peace offer seriously.

DI KHAN:

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief has said that all democratic forces of the country stand united as one and will defeat what he called a plot to delay the general elections.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, talking to the media after holding a meeting with Pir Fawad Raza Zakori in Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday, warned that although a strong lobby of both “internal and external forces” was trying to delay the upcoming polls, political parties would not let democracy be derailed.

“But now this lobby is in a defensive position because all the democratic forces are united and will not allow such lobbyists to succeed,” he said.

Fazl warned that certain forces were trying to target the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by introducing controversies. On Thursday, cleric Tahirul Qadri submitted a petition in the Supreme Court arguing that the Election Commission was illegal.

“But we will not allow such forces to make the election commission controversial,” Fazl assured.

The JUI-F chief added that all opposition parties were in talks to reach an agreement on an interim set-up. He said although high-profile lawyer Asma Jahangir’s name has been floating in the media as a contender for the post of caretaker prime minister, her candidacy had not come up for discussion on any serious platform.

Regarding Balochistan’s deteriorating law and order, Fazl said he opposed Governor’s Rule there, but it came as a surprise to him that the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), also seems to be “on the government’s side” on this.

He added that his party shared complete sympathy with the victims of the Quetta blasts but the Hazara community was not in favour of this “house change”. “As a democratic person, I am obliged to oppose undemocratic steps. I even opposed Governor’s Rule in Punjab earlier.”

The Taliban peace offer

Regarding the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) recent offer of peace talks, Fazl said that it seemed that the government was not taking the offer seriously.

“The government is operating under an American agenda. And without permission from the US, they will not initiate negotiations with the Taliban.”

However, he reiterated his party’s stance that the JUI-F had no direct contacts with the Taliban leadership.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2013.