Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday claimed that the February 8, 2024 general elections were more rigged than that of 2018.
His remarks came after the Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the JUI-F — former political foe — found "ideological coordination" in connection with the anti-PML-N-led government.
The JUI-F chief was the key politician who brought arch-rivals the PML-N and the PPP under the umbrella of the Pakistan Democratic Movement — a multi-party alliance — which led to the ouster of Imran Khan from power in April 2022. Khan became the first ever prime minister to be ousted through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.
After enjoying power for 16 months, differences emerged between the JUI-F and his former allies — PPP and PML-N — when the former was apparently ignored while forming a new government after the February 8 polls. Meanwhile, the JUI-F chief alleged that their mandate was stolen in the polls.
Addressing a public meeting in Balochistan's Pishin, the JUI-F stressed the need for harmony among the political forces and said: “This is not the time to fight. Politicians were always used [by establishment].”
In February this year, the JUI-F chief had accused former chief of army staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster Lt General (retd) Faiz Hamid of orchestrating the no-confidence move against Khan.
Speaking at the public gathering, Fazl said: “People of Balochistan do not accept the results of the February 8 elections.”
Referring to the massive rigging in the recent elections, the JUI-F chief said: “These assemblies are sold and bought.”
He further said that they had launched a movement against the rigging in the 2018 elections, adding that they would continue to remain on the front line in protest against rigging in the recent polls.
“We will not allow fake government to run with this movement,” he vowed.
The JUI-F leader also said that nobody could stop their anti-government movement now.
In March, the JUI-F announced that they would boycott the upcoming by-elections of the national and provincial assemblies. The party had further said that it would launch a protest movement from Balochistan against the massive rigging in the February 8 polls.
Last week, the six-party opposition alliance launched its protest drive against the government with a rally in Baloshitan’s Pishin where PTI leader Omar Ayub vowed to reclaim their rights through the “Tehreek Tahafuz Ayin”.