Government Blocked Negotiations, Says Fazlur Rehman; Calls PML-N and PPP ‘Enemies of Democracy’

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has accused the federal government of obstructing negotiations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging that the authorities were responsible for closing the door to dialogue.

“Whatever path to negotiations was blocked, it was blocked by the government,” Fazlur Rehman said while addressing an emergency press conference in Peshawar.

He criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), describing their leaders as “killers of democracy”. He also questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s authority during the negotiations.

“Ask Shehbaz Sharif how much authority he had during the negotiations. Those who are called unknown are all known to us,” the JUI-F chief remarked, without naming the individuals he was referring to.

Fazlur Rehman strongly opposed the federal government’s reported plans to impose Governor’s Rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, describing such a move as an assault on the rights of the people and an unconstitutional intervention.

He said JUI-F would resist the measure through public mobilisation, parliamentary action and legal proceedings, insisting that his party would not accept what he called an unconstitutional step.

“We will not bow before such an unconstitutional measure under any circumstances,” he said, adding that his party would directly approach the public and play an active role in Parliament.

Fazlur Rehman details mediation efforts

The JUI-F chief also outlined his efforts to mediate between the federal government and PTI over the latter’s long march.

He said that during discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government had insisted that the long march be called off first. PTI, meanwhile, had demanded permission for its founder, Imran Khan, to meet his family and implementation of the court’s decision concerning his transfer to a hospital for medical treatment.

According to Fazlur Rehman, both sides were insisting that the other should take the first step.

He said he had sought the authority to mediate and held a conference call with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser and other senior PTI leaders.

Fazlur Rehman said he had asked Sohail Afridi whether PTI would end the long march if its demands were accepted, to which the chief minister had agreed.

He added that he subsequently visited the Prime Minister’s House and informed the premier that PTI was prepared to call off the march if commitments regarding a meeting with Imran Khan and his medical treatment were fulfilled.

The prime minister, he said, indicated that a cabinet meeting could be held in the evening.

Questions government’s emergency rationale

Fazlur Rehman said he had planned to travel to Peshawar to meet Sohail Afridi and other leaders and bring representatives of the PML-N and PTI together under his supervision to resolve the dispute.

However, he said, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar telephoned him during the cabinet meeting and informed him that the government intended to impose an emergency in view of the terrorism threat.

The JUI-F chief said he questioned why similar measures were not being considered for Balochistan, arguing that its security situation was worse than that of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He also recalled his party’s opposition to the US-led war following the September 11 attacks, saying discriminatory and coercive decisions were unacceptable.

Fazlur Rehman reiterated that JUI-F would continue its political and legal struggle against any move to impose Governor’s Rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, maintaining that the people’s democratic rights must be protected.