{
  "id": 20180823,
  "title": "In call with Fazl, Bilawal condemns 'govt actions, political vengeance' against JUI-F",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/in-call-with-fazl-bilawal-condemns-govt-actions-political-vengeance",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-15T14:02:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2044724/in-call-with-fazl-bilawal-condemns-govt-actions-political-vengeance-against-jui-f"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari engaged in a telephone conversation with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday, expressing his condemnation of the government's actions against the JUI-F leader. The conversation occurred amid escalating tensions between Fazl and the PML-N-led federal government over recent months. Fazl's party organized street protests in several Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities against what they perceived as \"propaganda\" targeting the party and its leadership. In a statement, Bilawal reiterated his condemnation of the government's actions and vowed not to engage in political vengeance against the JUI-F. He emphasized that the opposition plays a crucial role in a democratic and parliamentary system, and urged the government to refrain from actions that undermine democracy and the Parliament. Bilawal has been advocating for political unity in the country, urging the prime minister to engage all political and social stakeholders to rebuild trust. The recent spate of harsh exchanges between Fazl and federal ministers followed Fazl's accusation that the Centre had deprived the provinces of their rights, following the JUI-F chief's opposition to the Centre's imposition of governor's rule and emergency in the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Fazl also accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments in his mediation efforts between the federal and provincial governments. The federal government, in turn, cited the KP government's \"deliberate disengagement\" from counterterrorism efforts as the reason for its decision to head the provincial administration. In October, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had claimed that a \"head of a party\" was upset over being denied a role in the new KP setup and not getting the governorship. The following day, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry directly rebuked Fazl, who later clarified his criticism was aimed at policies, not state institutions. The conflict also spilled over into the Parliament, where Fazl questioned Asif's absence and Naqvi's presence at a meeting of the Makkah pact countries and Iran in Tehran. In his subsequent response, Asif's minister explained his participation and accused the JUI-F of \"continuously crossing the line\" and of \"extracting wealth from the state\".",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemns government actions against JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman",
    "Government and JUI-F in escalating tensions over recent months",
    "Bilawal vows not to engage in political vengeance, calls for political unity"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}