Senator Maulana Abdul Waseem Condemns Qalat Johar Re-Polling, Calls It a “Blatant Assault on Public Mandate”

Quetta (Daily Qudrat) – Amir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Balochistan, Senator Maulana Abdul Waseem, strongly criticized the re-polling in Qalat Johar, calling it a mockery of democracy and a direct attack on the people’s mandate.

Speaking about the controversial re-election, he said that the process was manipulated to serve specific interests and described the incident as a brazen attempt to undermine the clear majority of JUI in favor of the Serena Hotel project. He highlighted that out of 73 official copies of election documents, 48 went missing, calling it “the worst case of election fraud” and “a serious affront to democratic values.”

Senator Abdul Waseem emphasized that such incidents have repeatedly occurred in Balochistan, where voters’ choices are overturned, and the people’s representatives are sidelined. He accused certain powers of deliberately weakening JUI and diminishing public influence in the province.

He further warned that continuing this pattern would render the electoral process meaningless and suggested that, if such manipulation persists, authorities might as well form a permanent committee in Islamabad to appoint leaders behind closed doors, bypassing the will of the people entirely.

Abdul Waseem described the day-long re-polling as a confirmation that Balochistan often serves as a bargaining center for political deals by national powers, with the province’s governance treated as a gift during power negotiations. He called this discriminatory and exploitative approach “a serious challenge to federalism and democratic principles.”

Highlighting the deprivation of Balochistan’s citizens from their political rights, he said the province’s natural resources support the national economy, yet the people are denied their basic right to vote, and artificial leadership is imposed upon them. He stressed that tampering with public mandates deepens distrust between the state and citizens, sowing seeds of hatred, political alienation, and unrest.

Senator Abdul Waseem concluded by saying that JUI’s leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, will soon announce the party’s next course of action. The party remains committed to a robust political, constitutional, and democratic struggle to protect the mandate of Balochistan and the nation