Fazlur Rehman Calls for New Charter of Democracy, Questions Governor’s Rule in KP
ISLAMABAD:Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has urged political parties to agree on a new Charter of Democracy in the national interest, warning the government against escalating political tensions.
Speaking during a National Assembly session, Fazlur Rehman said his party was prepared for a confrontation if the government wanted one, but urged both sides not to allow the situation to deteriorate to the point where dialogue became impossible.
“Let us come together and sign a new Charter of Democracy for the sake of the country,” he said.
The JUI-F chief questioned the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that the government had misused constitutional provisions despite claiming that the Constitution permitted such measures.
Fazlur Rehman also criticised the government’s handling of the situation involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its planned long march. He said the government should have prioritised facilitating a meeting with former prime minister Imran Khan and addressing his medical treatment rather than focusing on stopping the PTI march.
He said he had attempted to resolve the matter through negotiations and visited the Prime Minister’s House at 6am, proposing that the cabinet meeting be postponed until the evening.
However, he said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had informed him that the cabinet was not willing to accept the proposal and that a decision had been made to impose governor’s rule.
Fazlur Rehman also questioned why governor’s rule had been imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but not in Balochistan, asking whether the security situation in Balochistan was not worse than that in KP.
He argued that Balochistan was also facing severe terrorism-related challenges and demanded an explanation for the different approach taken by the government.
The JUI-F chief warned that political tolerance was declining and tensions were continuing to rise, urging political leaders to pursue dialogue and reach an agreement to safeguard the country’s democratic system.
