JUI-F chief demands 'transparent polls' as political turbulence grips Pakistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 23 : Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has expressed concern over the political turbulence in Pakistan and warned that the nation was heading on the brink of disaster, The Express Tribune reported.
He demanded transparent polls, asserting that the last polls were tainted due to rigging and accused the establishment of assembling a flawed parliament.
He said, "The current assembly is not a true representation of the people, especially in Balochistan, where the masses are not being fairly represented."
Elections were held in Pakistan amid allegations of rigging and the shutdown of cellular and internet services.
While addressing the business community on Sunday, he said Pakistan is in a precarious situation where neither its constitution nor its institutions like parliament and the judiciary are safe from interference.
Rehman stated, "The world is hesitant to engage with us economically, and our friendly nations are deeply worried about how to save Pakistan's economy."
The JUI-F chief stressed that each institution was meddling in the affairs of others to secure their interests, The Express Tribune reported.
He said, "If every institution works within its boundaries and strengthens its role, we can find solutions."
JUI-F's head warned that the continued erosion of constitutional values would cause further instability.
He further said, "The permanent solution to these problems is transparent elections, and the supremacy of the Constitution must be upheld at all costs."
Meanwhile, JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri demanded immediate and transparent elections, stressing that the nation cannot afford to continue under such mismanagement.
He criticised the coalition government and added that the Shehbaz Sharif-government had lost control of Pakistan and is no longer capable of governing effectively.
He made these remarks while speaking to reporters after offering condolences to JUI-F leader Naseeruddin Swati, whose brother, Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyab Haqqani, recently passed away, The Express Tribune reported.
Haideri spoke about Pakistan's law and order situation, stressing that the government has lost its grip. He said, "There is no government writ in any part of the country," citing the ongoing lawlessness in Sindh's Kacha areas, where kidnappings have been happening every day.
He said that national highways are blocked at will in Balochistan, with no one to stop the lawbreakers. Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri also lashed out the results of elections held in 2018 and 2024, terming them fraudulent and alleging that they failed to bring stable governments.
He said, "Corrupt individuals are consistently imposed upon the public through rigged elections." Haideri noted that government officials have acknowledged they struggled
He also noted that even government officials have admitted they struggle to manage Pakistan's affairs. "There is no significance to ordinances in the Constitution. They are meant for temporary use only."
He mentioned that the issue of Pakistan cannot be resolved through force. He demanded immediate attention to the legitimate demands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to The Express Tribune report.
He slammed the government for depending on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), claiming that the current leadership has surrendered the country to the Washington-based lender, with false promises about reducing inflation.