In call with Fazl, Bilawal condemns 'govt actions, political vengeance' against JUI-F
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday spoke to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and condemned the “government’s actions” against him. The telephone conversation comes as tensions have remained high between the JUI-F chief and the PML-N-led federal government over the past month. On Sunday, Fazl’s party also held street protests in several cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…
On Sunday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari engaged in a telephone conversation with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. During the call, Bilawal condemned the "government's actions" and "political vengeance" against Fazl. The meeting occurred amidst escalating tensions between the JUI-F and the PML-N-led federal government over the past month.
Fazl's party had also organized street protests in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the alleged "propaganda" directed at the party and its leadership. Bilawal, whose PPP is an ally of the ruling coalition, emphasized the importance of the opposition's role in democracy and a parliamentary system. He urged the government to refrain from actions that weaken democracy and the Parliament.
The past month has seen a surge in verbal sparring between Fazl and federal ministers, following Fazl's accusations that the Centre had deprived provinces of their rights. These disputes arose after JUI-F's chief joined the opposition in criticizing the Centre's imposition of governor's rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as its alleged reneging on commitments during mediation efforts.
The Centre has blamed the KP government's "deliberate disengagement" from counterterrorism efforts for its decision, leading to the PPP's governor now heading the provincial administration. In October, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused a "head of a party" of being upset over not being included in the new setup in KP and not getting the governorship.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry subsequently rebuked Fazl, who clarified that his criticism was directed at policies, not state institutions. The controversy spilled over into Parliament, where Fazl questioned Asif's absence and Naqvi's presence at a meeting of the Makkah pact countries and Iran in Tehran.
In response, Naqvi defended his participation and criticized the JUI-F for continuously crossing the line and extracting wealth from the state.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
