Any religious party would be branded ‘terrorist & rebellious’ if acted on lines of PTI: Fazlur Rehman

ISLAMABAD, March 15 (SABAH): Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said any religious party would be branded ‘terrorist & rebellious’ if it would act on the lines of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and army would have been in action against it.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that former prime minister and Chairman PTI Imran Khan had an agenda of weakening and destroying the country. He further said that former prime minister had been hiding behind his workers to evade his arrest.

These remarks come as clashes between PTI workers and law enforcement agencies intensified outside Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore. Islamabad Police with the help of Punjab police trued tried to arrest the former prime minister after an Islamabad sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in the Toshakhana case.

Fazlur Rehman called Khan as a coward who has not only used his party workers as a shield but also made them stand against the state. The state must establish its writ and ensure Imran’s arrest for the crimes he committed during his tenure as prime minister,” he added.

He said that many political leaders were arrested during the tenure of Imran Khan’s government which even failed to prove a single allegation in a court of law. “Imran Khan should show some courage and face the law,” the JUI chief said, adding that Imran was hell-bent on spreading chaos and anarchy in the country to achieve his ulterior motives.

He said that the country could not be run on the whims of Imran Khan, who first abandoned Parliament and then resorted to inciting violence in the country. He said that Imran Khan was striving to implement his foreign agenda in the country, but he would not be allowed to do so at any cost.

The JUI-F chief also remarked that the situation in Lahore was grave as the entire city had turned into a battlefield, causing inconvenience to the masses.

He said everybody was equal in terms of the law. He scolded former US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Zalmay Khalilzad for “speaking in favour of Imran Khan.” He added, “Our stance turned out to be right that Imran is a representative of the foreign country.”

Speaking about the security situation in Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fazlur Rehman said, “The security situation in FATA and KP is concerning. The problem of the new delimitations is also prevailing.”

He said, “The country is having no funds for holding elections. We should have to consider that whether the state is more important or Imran Khan’s will.” Claiming the PTI was having no political entity, Fazlur Rehman said the agenda which was started in the country will be undone. People like Khan should be arrested to disclose reality, he added.