JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Thursday warned the establishment against overstepping its boundaries, telling it to stay within its limits.
“We cannot be coerced into accepting the dominance of any institution. Let us remain a nation grounded in ethics and intellect,” Fazl said while speaking to a party meeting in Lahore. In an apparent reference to the military establishment, Fazl said, “We do not submit to the supremacy of any institution. Therefore, stay within your limits.”
“The establishment must listen. This is the voice of Fazlur Rehman and also the voice of our party.” Fazl said that people in villages and rural areas are often forced to vote for certain candidates against their will. “Our party is often told to withdraw our candidate for someone, money is also demanded from our candidates. If we present evidence, there will be no refuge for you,” he cautioned. Expressing apprehension about the state of democracy, Fazl remarked, “Regrettably, I see this country heading towards the situation in Bengal; the Parliament is merely a symbolic institution, and democracy is losing its ground.”
“We are fighting against those who declare democracy as infidelity, but we are being cornered. If Parliament continues to be formed through rigging, it will lose its significance.” JUI-F chief emphasised their adherence to the concept of democracy defined by senior religious scholars and questioned the deviation from democratic norms. “The Parliament is being brought into existence according to Western interests; do not expect anything from the rulers; they have buried their dignity before their demise,” he remarked.
