ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Abid Sher Ali has criticised Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, questioning his political position and recalling past support for former president Pervez Musharraf’s constitutional measures.
Speaking to the media, Abid Sher Ali said Fazlur Rehman could explain the reasons behind his anger. He added that the JUI-F chief was familiar with the history of the Eighth Amendment.
The PML-N leader said his party had opposed Musharraf’s Legal Framework Order (LFO) and the imposition of emergency rule. However, he alleged that other political groups had supported the former president’s actions.
Abid Sher Ali accused Musharraf of bringing terrorism and instability to Pakistan. He also questioned past political arrangements under which, he said, a party with 40 seats received the opposition leadership and the chairmanship of the Kashmir Committee.
“We do not need political lessons from anyone. We stand with the state and its institutions,” he said.
Abid Sher Ali Calls for Unity Against Terrorism
The PML-N leader warned that there would be no compromise with elements involved in attacks on state institutions. He added that efforts were underway to pursue meaningful dialogue on outstanding issues.
He said Pakistan was fighting a war against terrorism and that security personnel continued to sacrifice their lives. According to Abid Sher Ali, the sacrifices of the martyrs carried a clear message of peace and security.
He urged all sections of society to unite against terrorism and work towards lasting peace.
Referring to Fazlur Rehman, Abid Sher Ali questioned whether the JUI-F chief was “playing on both sides”. He also urged the public to decide whether they wanted to stand with the nation or alongside terrorists.
Abid Sher Ali on Fazlur Rehman’s Long March
Responding to a journalist’s question about how the government would handle a possible sit-in or long march by Fazlur Rehman, Abid Sher Ali said the JUI-F chief had organised such protests in the past and that his party had welcomed them.
He described a long march as Fazlur Rehman’s democratic right, adding that the government had no objection to peaceful protests conducted within the constitutional and legal framework.
Abid Sher Ali also rejected claims of a political conspiracy against PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, saying no such conspiracy was currently underway against him.
He added that any conspiracy taking place at present was fundamentally directed against Pakistan.
