Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed serious concerns over the “stealing of public mandate” in elections, accusing institutions of manipulating results to consolidate their power.
The JUI-F chief has consistently criticized the February 8, 2024, general elections, calling them more rigged than the 2018 elections. Last week, the party led a wheel-jam strike in Balochistan against alleged rigging in the January 5 by-election for PB-45 (Quetta-8), where the Election Commission of Pakistan declared the PPP candidate victorious.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Fazl said: “Institutions manipulate election results to strengthen their authority, while politicians also compromise their principles for power.”
He added that authoritarian forces grow stronger due to the weaknesses of politicians.
“Any institution that exceeds its constitutional boundaries should reflect on its actions,” Fazl said.
The JUI-F chief claimed that his party had won the by-election in Balochistan based on Form-45.
“The tragedy is that this is the second election that has left people dissatisfied,” he said.
Fazl emphasized that all institutions must operate within their constitutional limits, adding, “Today, the parliament has become ineffective.”
Highlighting the need for fresh elections, Fazl questioned: “If there’s room for a rigged election, why not hold early elections?”
Responding to a question, Fazl expressed satisfaction with the ongoing negotiations between the ruling coalition and PTI.
“As a politician, I always support dialogue. There are good hopes from the talks between the government and PTI,” Fazl said.
He added that politicians should not be imprisoned.
“I wish for issues to be resolved through negotiations,” the JUI-F chief concluded.
