JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday rejected Pakistan’s election results saying they were “rigged”.
The JUI-F, which suffered a huge defeat in the recent elections, has meanwhile called for nationwide protests against the alleged electoral manipulation by “anti-Islamic forces”.
Fazl on Wednesday however called for Nawaz Sharif to join him on the opposition benches rather than form a government.
He also expressed reservations about the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) role which, he alleged, had been “dubious from day one”.
“Today, our central committee met, which has rejected the election results and expressed reservations about the role of the Election Commission of Pakistan, but JUI-F will play its role in the parliament and will attend it with reservations,” he said addressing a press conference.
He accused the election process of being manipulated at the behest of “anti-Islamic forces”.
He emphasized the party’s commitment to maintaining strong relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, stating that their efforts in this regard were not accepted by the United States and Israel.
“JUI-F is an ideological force, which will not compromise on national issues. We will run the movement for our greater goals,” Fazl declared, adding, “The role of the ECP has been suspicious since day one.”
According to Pakistan’s The Tribune, he also claimed that the election results indicated widespread bribery and asserted that the party’s candidates and workers faced threats and intimidation.
He accused the Election Commission of Pakistan of being under the control of the establishment, claiming that the entire election process was manipulated.
“The election process was held hostage, with bribes influencing both victories and defeats. In response, we are initiating a nationwide protest movement to advocate for democracy. The decisions will now be made in the field, not just within the confines of parliament,” Fazl declared.
