PTI heaps scorn on Fazl for ‘legitimising’ coalition govt

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday castigated JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for ‘legitimising’ the ruling regime following the latter’s major shift in his stance on the coalition government amid parliamentary collaboration with the former ruling party.

“We never needed (Maulana Fazl) support, neither in the past nor today,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’. The PTI leader’s statement came as JUIF chief Maulana Fazl seemingly lowered his rhetoric against the PMLN-led coalition government which he accused of coming to power through “rigged” February 8 general elections.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, the JUIF chief referred to the alleged manipulation in the election results saying whether the present parliament was a product of “Form 45 or 47”, they had to accept and use it to address all the national issues. Fazl also urged both the government and the opposition to confront the challenge of terrorism, saying parliament is the supreme institution.

In Saturday’s show, Barrister Saif said the JUIF chief always chose the side where he saw his benefit, saying the cleric politics has “finished” in KP where PTI-led government is in power. “He [Fazl] doesn’t have enough seats to convene KP assembly’s session even with the support of all opposition members,” the KP spokesperson said, adding that the politician was eyeing KP’s governorship and two Senate seats.

He further said that Maulana Fazl changed his stance on the incumbent rulers for “personal gains”, claiming that the latter always benefits his family members. “His brother will become a senator and another relative will get governorship,” he claimed referring to the reports that the JUI-F chief was offered top posts by the coalition government in return for supporting the incumbent rulers.

“We backed the objections of Maulana on the Election Commission of Pakistan and February 8 elections but now, he has accepted this system.”