Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday clarified that his party’s remarks regarding the country’s security situation were directed at policies, not institutions, and termed the allegations levelled against him by federal ministers as character assassination.
asserted
remarks → clarify → assassination
A day earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, without naming anyone, had claimed that a “head of a party” was “extremely upset” about not being appointed the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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head → name → Pakhtunkhwa
The remarks came after Fazl accused the Centre of depriving the provinces of their rights and raised doubts over its reasoning behind imposing governor’s rule that there was a lack of cooperation on counterterrorism.
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Fazl → come → counterterrorism
Earlier on Saturday, State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry also rebuked the JUI-F chief for reportedly seeking his “share” in KP’s governance following the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in the province.
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Chaudhry → rebuke → province
Other federal ministers have also taken exception to Fazl’s remarks.
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ministers → take → remarks
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Saturday, Fazl stressed that his party’s criticism was directed at policies, not institutions, and was intended to bring about corrective action rather than undermine the sacrifices made in the fight against terrorism.
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criticism → address → terrorism
The senior politician called for an in-camera session of Parliament to review the country’s security situation and formulate a consensus-based policy to combat terrorism.
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politician → call → terrorism
“Our only question is why the country has failed to eliminate terrorism.
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country → fail → terrorism
Let us sit together and find out why.
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us → let → ?
Parliament is the most appropriate forum to discuss the issue and make decisions.
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Parliament → discuss → decisions
Instead of ridiculing politicians, the government should take them on board in this fight so that we can move forward together,” he said.
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he → ridicule → fight
“If Parliament is supreme, why are decisions taken in Rawalpindi while Parliament is simply told to follow them?” he remarked.
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he → take → them
Decisions are taken somewhere else, and it implements them obediently,” he alleged.
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he → take → them
The JUI-F maintained that Parliament should review the security situation and that the nation should be taken into confidence.
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nation → maintain → confidence
If the public was expected to support the fight against terrorism and those engaged in it, he argued, the government should explain its decisions rather than impose “unilateral measures”.
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government → expect → measures
Fazl reiterated his objection to the imposition of emergency rule in KP or any other part of the country.
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Fazl → reiterate → country
Recalling his family’s opposition to emergency rule in Balochistan during the 1970s, he said his father had resigned when the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto imposed it in the province.
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government → recall → province
He described the recurrence of such measures as unfortunate, pointing out that the PP had repeatedly been associated with their imposition.
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PP → describe → imposition
Questioning the rationale behind the emergency, governor’s rule and deployment of troops in KP, Fazl asked why the province should face such treatment when Balochistan was also grappling with the same level of terrorist violence, if not more.
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Balochistan → question → violence
The JUI-F chief urged the government to develop a shared national narrative and a consensus-based counterterrorism strategy instead of questioning his party’s position.
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chief → urge → position
He went on to ask why the government engaged in negotiations with the PTI, which had been in power in KP, if the party was accused of supporting terrorists.
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party → go → terrorists
“On top of it, both (the PTI and the government) say that they had reached a consensus on all points.”
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they → say → points
Fazl then highlighted that around 250 of his party workers had lost their lives in terrorist violence, arguing that their sacrifices should not be ridiculed or overlooked.
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sacrifices → highlight → violence
“How can a party whose members have laid their lives be accused of supporting terrorists?” he asked.
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he → lay → terrorists
He also questioned why he was being singled out for criticism when political leaders, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had at various times disagreed with the military leadership.
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leaders → question → leadership
Ministers assail Fazl
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Ministers → assail → Fazl
Earlier on Saturday, addressing the media in Jaranwala, Chaudhry said, “I am upset.
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I → address → Jaranwala
We did not expect Maulana sahab […] to consider this as spoils of war and seek his share in the absence of a PTI government in the province.
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sahab → expect → province
He emphasised that the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in KP was not a political move aimed at strengthening the PML-N’s presence in the province by dismissing the PTI-led government.
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imposition → emphasise → government
“This was an administrative setup,” he said, adding that it had been formed with a “one-point agenda: combating terrorism”, rather than with an intention of establishing a political setup.
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it → say → setup
“This is not spoils of war,” he reiterated, adding that the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in KP was an “immensely responsible” decision taken after every other option had been considered.
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option → reiterate → KP
“I am unable to understand why Maulana sahab says that he was forced to accept defeat [in elections],” he said, arguing that Fazl’s party had been defeated by the PTI in KP and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party in Balochistan.
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party → understand → Balochistan
Chaudhry said the JUI-F was worthy of respect only if it stood by Pakistan’s interests.
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it → say → interests
The state minister also rejected the impression that the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule was aimed at taking control of KP’s natural resources.
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imposition → reject → resources
He also criticised Fazl for bringing up the 1971 separation of East Pakistan — now Bangladesh — from Pakistan in his recent statements.
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He → criticise → statements
“You bring up 1971 after losing the 2024 elections,” Chaudhry said.
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Chaudhry → bring → elections
“This KP setup is not about distributing shares, forming coalitions and governments, or engaging in politics,” he stressed, clarifying that only one member of the KP Advisory Council has a political background, as she represents the families of martyrs.
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she → distribute → martyrs
Chaudhry again offered to implement the National Action Plan and combat terrorism jointly with all stakeholders.
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Chaudhry → offer → stakeholders
“Politics is possible only where there is peace,” he said.
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he → be → ?
At the outset of his address, Chaudhry alleged that there must be “a relationship or a mutual interest arrangement between the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the PTI”.
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Chaudhry → allege → Pakistan
…and 32 more, not listed.
The Aporia
