Pakistan: JUI-F chief accuses General Bajwa, Lt General Hameed of orchestrating no-trust vote against Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 16 (ANI): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has accused Pakistan’s former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence Lt General (retd) Faiz Hameed of planning the no-trust vote against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) spearheaded the no-confidence move against Imran Khan with General Bajwa and Lt General Hameed giving instructions to political parties.

He said, “I was not in favour of it, but I supported it because then the PDM would have said that I saved Imran Khan,” according to The Express Tribune report.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that General Faiz supported the no-confidence motion. He said, “General Bajwa and General Faiz gave instructions about the no-confidence motion and PML-N and PPP sealed it. General Faiz said that we can do everything within the limits of the system and he had no objection to it.”

Fazl said that the elections held in Pakistan in 2018 and 2024 were rigged. He stated, “We have decided to protest against this vote theft. Now the decisions would be taken on the ground rather than in the assembly,” The Express Tribune reported.

Imran Khan was ousted as Pakistan’s PM through a no-confidence vote in April, 2022. He became the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to lose a no-trust vote in the National Assembly.

Despite several attempts to block the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, the voting took place after midnight, in which as many as 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-member House while members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were absent.

Meanwhile, the JUI-F chief spoke about the party’s refusal to participate in discussions with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on government formation.

He said, “I believe whatever happened during the 2024 elections, it benefitted PML-N. There are rumours that Nawaz Sharif was given the Lahore seat.”

The JUI-F chief warned that if PML-N and other political parties went ahead to form the government, they would be held accountable for the consequences, The Express Tribune reported.

He said, “I don’t see a [bright] future for the parliament, therefore, I invited PML-N to sit with us,” he stressed. He also expressed optimism about resolving differences with the PTI, hinting at his readiness to hold talks with Imran Khan’s party.

On February 10, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) has said rigging in elections has made history, Pakistan-based The News International reported.

In a statement, JUI-F Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said leaders of national mainstream parties were forcibly defeated while little-known candidates were helped to secure wins in their constituencies. He noted that mobile phone service was shut down on the polling day to achieve the desired result.

He asked why the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was so helpless and added that the commission had set new traditions, according to The News International report.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said it also happened in general elections that were conducted in 2013 and 2018. He raised the question of why the ECP was determined to give Pakistan an unelected government containing people who would act as showpieces.