US, Europe backing PM Imran: I gathered opposition parties but nobody stood with me, says Fazlur Rehman

CHARSADDA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said he tried to bring all opposition parties together but they did not stand with him in his protest movement against the Imran Khan government.

“The JUI-F tried to gather all the political parties on a single platform, but nobody sided with me,” he complained, saying that the opposition parties’ participation in the Azadi March was only symbolic.

He was addressing the Majlis-e-Tahafuz-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwwat conference in Charsadda district. Fazl alleged that the US and Europe were backing Kaptan (Imran Khan), but the Azadi March, held by his party, had turned him into a dummy. “We will not accept any ruler who was bent upon promoting foreign agenda,” the Maulana warned.

He dared the PTI government to register a treason case against him, saying his party would not bow to such tactics. “I declare that if this is treason, I will continue committing it until sending Kaptan home,” he added.

Criticising the PTI government over its poor performance, the JUI-F leader said the rulers borrowed heavily in the last 18 months, but they could not turn around the economy. He claimed that many people approached him telling himthat they would commit self-immolation at D-Chowk in Islamabad out of frustration, caused by rising price-hike. The Maulana said the government had rendered about 2.5 million people jobless instead of creating the promised 10 million jobs. He added that the ones who had claimed to build five million houses had demolished the shelters of the poor people.

Fazlur Rehman termed the PTI government “illegitimate” and “unconstitutional”, saying it has been imposed on the people. He said the PTI rulers lacked vision and had compounded the miseries of the have-nots.

JUI-F leaders Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Akram Khan Durrani, Maulana Shahabuddin Popalzai, Maulana Syed Gohar Shah, Maulana Attaul Haq Darvesh, Maulana Fazal Ali Haqqani and others also spoke on the occasion.