PPP criticises JUIF chief’s politics of allegations

ISLAMABAD: PPP on Friday expressed grave disappointment over the statement of JUI Chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman, accusing the PPP of not resigning from the assemblies by playing into the hands of the establishment.

“It does not befit the stature of Maulana Sahab to resort to blatant falsehood in responding to criticism of his politics and policies”, said PPP (Parliamentarian) secretary-general Farhatullah Babar.

“The accusations are untrue and aimed at covering up the role played by him which will achieve no purpose except to further divide the opposition in its efforts to dislodge the selected regime,” Babar maintained.

He said: “For the record let it be reiterated that contrary to the assertion of JUIF Chief, it was never the consensus decision of the erstwhile PDM to resign from the Assemblies. The position of the PPP was explained in unambiguous terms at the meeting of the heads of component parties in Sharif’s Raiwind estate on January 1, 2021,” he said, adding, “the hybrid meeting was attended besides Maulana Sahib, by heads of all component parties of PDM including Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Mariam Nawaz and others.”

He said at that meeting the PPP laid bare the constitutional, legal and political implications of the resignation option and the likely consequences as a result of the selected and selectors joining hands and playing havoc with the constitutional edifice reconstructed under the 18th Amendment.

He said that in the meeting the PPP proposed to adopt the parliamentary process to bring under pressure both the selected and selectors. “Even the methodology for it was explained in detail when Maulana Fazalur Rehman himself asked about it, he said, adding that the conversation on the proposed methodology, however, was not pursued as it was evident that Maulana Fazalur Rehman was reluctant to take on the non-political support base of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Farhatullah Babar said that the PDM broke the day when even before the party heads meeting on March 8 in Islamabad to discuss the long march, it announced linking the long march to resignations from the assemblies behind the back of PPP.

He said that the PPP had participated in the long march of JUI in October 2019. “The Islamabad sit-in was however abruptly called off by Maulana Fazalur Rehman as Chaudhry Pervez Ilahi first disclosed that an understanding had been reached for ending the sit-in,” he said.

He said although it raised serious questions as to what games Maulana was playing, the PPP refrained from accusing him of playing in the hands of the establishment. He said that Maulana Fazalur Rehman is advised not to cause a further split in the opposition ranks and save thereby selected and his non-political backers and support base.