QUETTA, July 8: Provincial chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Ideological), Maulana Asmatullah, has said that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has divided the party by getting involved in differences between his group and the faction led by Maulana Sherani.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, MNA Asmatullah criticised Maulana Fazl for describing his followers as rebels. He said his group would continue its struggle against ‘opportunists’.

“We did not deviate from the party’s ideology. Our protest was against dictatorial steps of Maulana Sherani within the party but Maulana Fazl has ignored the realities by supporting the minority group,” he said.

Maulana Asmatullah asserted that his election victory in Zhob against Maulana Sherani showed that the party’s members and sympathisers backed his group.

He said his group which recognized Maulana Fazl as the party’s amir had authorised him to resolve the differences but he made himself controversial by making the statement against one faction.

He alleged that the party’s ministers in ten previous government, who were backed by Maulana Sherani, were involved in corruption and it was Maulana Fazl’s responsibility to investigate the matter.

He said people wanted to know how the Sherani group spent four to five million rupees on flags, banners, handbills, placards, posters and advertisement for Maulana Fazl’s current tour of the province.

Replying to a question, Maulana Asmatullah said his group would not attend the Sharia Conference to be presided over by Maulana Fazl in the provincial capital on Wednesday.