LAHORE: “I don’t accept this electoral mandate and I hold those responsible who have done it, not those for whom it was done,” said chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, here on Wednesday.

Inaugurating lawyers’ wing of his party, he insists if the establishment sabotages the electoral process and interferes in the democratic procedures, resolutions of Corps Commanders’ Conference cannot deter criticism of it. The army as a defender of Pakistan is respected, but not as a political decision-maker.

Berating the judiciary, he wonders how can this judicial system accept 100 cases in a week’s time against a person fallen out of favour of the military establishment and decide in favour of another 100 against a person, who has won favour of the army?

The judiciary now says Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) was not given fair trial 45 years after his hanging, when all the judges have died. Can he come back now? Recently, why they took up a case (about Ahmadis) when they did not have expertise on the subject? They are now writing letters to ulema for guidance after the event. Why did they not seek guidance before deciding the case?

“We do not agree with the court judgment [on Ahmadis] and will launch a movement against it,” he warns and adds: “I have already told everyone that decision would now be made on the streets not in the parliament.”

Explaining why does he not accept the electoral mandate given by the Feb 8 elections, he says, “I have been asking the PML-N that it has won almost the same seats as it secured in 2018; why last elections were rigged and the current one are not. Similarly, I have been asking the PTI, which won almost the same mandate in both polls, then why last election was not rigged and this one is. Both of them need some explanation to do.”

“I have decided to agitate in the aftermath of elections because some very serious governance issues are involved, even the Constitution of the country. The 1973 Constitution is a consensus document and provides basis for the current shape of the country. If it collapses, the country would collapse. It gives four cardinal principles: Islam, democracy, parliamentary form of government and federalism.

“If we tinker with any of these bases, the constitution would die and we have to have a constitution writing assembly. Can this country with so much deeps divisions already on the rampage can afford? Another factor necessitates my taking to the streets is role of legislature: should it, as a representative of people, decide matters related to people of Pakistan or on the directions of those working behind the scene? Should it legislate according to the needs of the time, as it consider necessary, or on the wishes of someone else?

“It already has a very limited space to manoeuvre. The economy is already beholden to the IMF, World Bank and FATF. All financial and economic strings are pulled and pushed by these institutions in a very crude way. The economic and financial crises have a decisive impact on the defence capabilities of the country and these three factors decide the country’s future as a physical contiguous entity. So, no more games can be played with the country, without risking its life,” Fazl says.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2024