All JUI factions be united, says Hafiz Hussain

PESHAWAR: As internal fighting in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) intensifies, former JUI-F leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed alleged that the alliance used the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party like a “tissue paper”.

“PDM used Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) like a tissue paper,” said Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, while speaking to the media after inaugurating the JUI secretariat in Peshawar. He was flanked by Maulana Muhammad Sherani.

Ahmed said that the PDM "is in tatters", referring to the war of words between PPP and PML-N that began with the issue of whether or not the position of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate should go to Yusuf Raza Gilani.

Speaking about the JUI, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed called on Fazl to help unite the factions of the JUI under the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan banner and hold intraparty elections.

“Maulana Fazlur Rehman should immediately join JUI Pakistan,” he said.

He also claimed that JUI had tried stopping Fazlur Rehman from taking part in the 2018 elections but the JUI-F chief decided to contest the elections on the advice of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

The former MNA alleged that Fazlur Rehman was "busy saving his “reputation”, adding that the recent politics has "harmed the ideological foundations" of the JUI. Following a meeting of the JUI-F in Lahore, Maulana Sherani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, and Maulana Shuja-ul-Mulk were expelled from the party, a party spokesperson had said at the time.

The spokesperson added that the statements and opinions of the expelled leaders will not be owned by the party, adding that they had been sent copies of the decision.

The development came after Maulana Sherani earlier said that the PDM has been set up for "personal gains," adding that Maulana Fazlur Rehman is himself "selected."