Rebel JUI-F leaders team up against Fazl

PESHAWAR/CHAKDARA: The ousted rebel leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have teamed up against Maulana Fazlur Rehman and they are meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday wherein they would decide about the future line of action.

Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, who along with three other leaders was expelled from the JUI-F recently, said on Saturday that he came to know about his expulsion from the party through the mainstream media and social media.

Speaking at a press conference in Chakdara, he said that he had not received anything in writing about his expulsion from the party, saying that he did not believe in hearsay.

However, he added that he was neither served a show-cause notice nor given the chance to present his point of view. "The decision to expel us from the party was made in haste, which is unjust and unconstitutional," he argued.

He maintained that he would neither quit the JUI nor form his own faction rather he would stay within the party and raise voice for reforms. The Maulana said that he was neither in favour of dynastic politics nor did the JUI constitution have any such provision.

However, he said that a meeting to be chaired by Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani would take place in Islamabad on December 29 (Tuesday) wherein they would decide about the future line of action.

Maulana Gul Naseeb pointed out that as per the party's constitution, taking action against a member of the executive committee should be brought on the agenda of the legislative council. Explaining the procedure for expelling a member from the party, he argued that such decision was supposed to be made by the provincial or district organisations and the appeal could be moved before the central unit of the party.

It may be mentioned that the JUI-F recently expelled four senior party leaders, including former chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, former senator Hafiz Hussain Ahmad both hailing from Balochistan, Maulana Gul Naseeb and Maulana Shujaul Mulk, belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The action was taken against the four party leaders after they were accused of deviating from the party policy.

Meanwhile, four rebels in Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F after their expulsion from the party are also having a difference of opinion on the issue of recognition of Israel by Pakistan.

Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, a JUI-F leader from Balochistan and a former lawmaker, had caused a surprise and triggered a controversy by advocating the recognition of Israel. Sherani had in the past also criticised the Afghan Taliban in violation of the JUI-F position to support their cause of fighting the US-led coalition and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. One of the JUI-F rebels, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, has distanced himself from Sherani’s stance by arguing that he cannot support the recognition of Israel by Pakistan.

He added that he backed Sherani on the issue of lack of democracy and consultation in the JUI-F as Maulana Fazlur Rehman dictated terms in the party, but had a different opinion on Israel as Pakistan must not recognise the Zionist regime.

Except Sherani, none of the three other rebels have called for recognition of Israel. Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, a former Senator hailing from Lower Dir district and ex-provincial head of the JUI-F in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was recently expelled from the party on disciplinary grounds along with Sherani, former Senator Hafiz Hussain Ahmad belonging to Balochistan, and former MNA from Mardan, Maulana Shujaul Mulk. They had been critical of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and had even questioned his decision to align with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). All four have objected to the decision to expel them from the party.

Maulana Shujaul Mulk maintained that they were part of the JUI-F and would remain so instead of accepting the dictates of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman has become a ‘Shahinshah’ and is doing whatever he feels like doing. He has made JUI-F hostage after getting a notice from NAB to explain his assets. We aren’t alone and would come up with our future course of action after consulting our colleagues,” he added.

Sherani and Hafiz Hussain Ahmad have been more critical of Maulana Fazlur Rehman than the others apparently due to their belief that they have a support base in the party in Balochistan.