ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday “clarified” his statement about former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-director general Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed in which he had accused both of orchestrating the downfall of the PTI government led by Imran Khan in 2022.
“I was opposed to the idea of tabling a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan,” the JUI-F chief had said in an interview with a private TV channel while referring to the events unfolded in 2022 as the country saw for the first time in its history the ouster of a prime minister through a no-confidence vote.
Maulana Fazl was among top opposition leaders who spearheaded the efforts to oust the PTI founder under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
In a statement issued today, Fazl provided an explanation about his earlier statement, saying that he took Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed’s name by “mistake”.
However, he maintained his stance on General (retd) Bajwa and Gen (retd) Faiz’s alleged involvement in election rigging during the 2018 elections. “This matter should be consigned to history instead of being discussed more,” he asserted.
“I have told everything and that is enough. We wanted to remove the PTI government through no-confidence motion. PDM, PPP and ANP used to have daily meetings. General Bajwa has had many meetings with me alone,” he added.
Talking about the recently-held elections and meeting with the PTI delegation, Fazl said that transparent elections did not take place anywhere including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “Despite our differences, PTI delegation came and held a positive meeting. But we emphasised [with them] that rigging did take place in K-P,” he added.
He further said that he will not give priority to personal grudges over national goals. “Differences are there but they are not at a personal level but rather at the party level,” he concluded.
The clarification from the JUI-F leader follows intense scrutiny and speculation over his initial remarks, which had stirred controversy within Pakistan’s political circles.
PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi said that the JUI-F chief had benefited the most from the no-confidence vote against then-premier Imran Khan. He added that Fazl could have stopped the no-confidence move as he was the head of the PDM.
Replying to Fazl’s allegation that his party’s mandate was stolen, Kundi said, “If it was stolen, then who was it given to? To the same delegation who visited him yesterday”.
JUI-F chief’s initial remarks caught political analysts off guard, given his reputation as a staunch supporter of the establishment. Some speculate that his comments about Bajwa and Hameed stem from his sheer frustration over his recent defeat in general elections.
