Fazl censures political parties for opportunism amid sinking economy

• Politician says establishment, bureaucracy’s grip weakening.
• "Administrative structure is declining," Fazl says.
• "Fazl not against polls," Bilawal says.

PESHAWAR/SUKKUR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the country was sinking into a quagmire, while some political parties were busy campaigning for the elections, reported The News.

The politician, who is also the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief, expressed his concerns regarding the country's prevailing economic conditions.

“The country’s overall administrative structure is on the decline," he said, addressing a convention for his party workers.

The senior politician maintained that anti-religion forces were adding to their clout and influence, while the establishment and bureaucracy’s grip had weakened.

He insisted on thinking about the country's betterment, as it continues to grapple with a host of internal and external challenges.

The JUI-F leader said they brought together various political forces on the platform of PDM, whose government saved the country’s economy. He added the economy had fallen to such a level that it was difficult to revive it, he blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for it.

“Pakistan would have been a member of the G-20 forum had the continuity of economic policies not been hampered over the years,” he said.

Fazl said his party was ready to go into the election, asking the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) if it did not know how the weather would be in January.

"Half of the country will start receiving snowfall in the last week of January," he went on to add.

Fazl also expressed apprehensions about the “worsening” law and order, saying how could the election campaign be run under such circumstances.

“How would the people come out to vote in a poor law and order situation?” he asked.

The politician clarified that he did not want to get the next general election postponed but wanted to mention the problems. Fazl said he did not like giving speeches at gatherings at a time when his opponent was in jail.

“If I am free, my opponent should also be free,” he said. “I want every politician out of jail.”

However, he said that nobody was above the law. He recalled that former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan voted for him in 2002 and could not find a single flaw in him.

The JUI-F leader said that in Pakistan, many political personalities were loyal to the US.

“In the past, we defeated the ones loyal to Israel, the US and the West and would do so in the future as well,” he vowed.

“People fight for power and interests, but we have always fought for an ideology,” Fazl maintained.

'Fazl not against polls'

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Maulana Fazl was a democratic politician. “I don’t think he is against elections. PPP is always ready for elections and will win the next polls,” he said, speaking with journalists in Sukkur,

A politician like Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Bilawal added, is not expected to make a statement on delaying the election.

He said that every democratic politician understands that elections are the solution to all problems.

“The biggest problem of the country at the moment is inflation and people are looking towards politicians to solve the problems,” Bilawal said.

“The ECP and caretaker government do not belong to any party, and they only watch the interests of individuals.”

He said even if the caretaker government wants to, it cannot give relief to the people because it has neither the powers nor legal status. He emphasised the ECP and caretaker government should only see the benefit of the people and not of any party.

In response to a question on the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, the PPP chairman said his party had always maintained that Nawaz should return to the country.

He said the PML-N activities on the return of their leader are not visible, adding that when Benazir Bhutto announced to return home on October 18, 2007, zealous PPP workers had intensified their activities across the country.

“Now Nawaz Sharif is returning but the PML-N is not showing that much spirit," he said.