JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman Monday said incoming results in the local government (LG) elections had shown that his party was the biggest political power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Fazl’s statement came after unofficial results put JUI-F’s Zubair Ali as the winner for the coveted post of Peshawar’s mayor.
Moreover, unofficial results from the KP’s 30 tehsils showed that JUI-F was leading with 13 seats, followed by PTI with 6 seats, PML-N 3, Awami National Party 3, Jamaat-i-Islami one and PPP one, while independent candidates have secured three seats.
“I believe, we are leading at the tehsil and union council level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s local government elections,” Fazl said while speaking to the media in Quetta.
He said time had proved that the last elections were rigged. “JUI-F was and is the biggest political power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said in response to a question about the local government elections.
However, he said some forces were trying to place hurdles in the way of JUI-F, as they were apprehensive about rising to power of his party.
“They fear what will America and the West think,” he said, adding that the US and West had settled matters with the Afghan Taliban. “Why will we be unacceptable to them then?” he asked. He called for an end to the mentality of stopping a particular party from progressing and claimed that the JUI-F could run Pakistan in a better manner than the incumbent government.
“We know how to run this country. We are honest and by God’s grace, the JUI-F is the only party that has not been accused of corruption,” Fazl claimed. He further said it had proved that corruption allegations were being used as a tool.
Warning that trends such as that of leveling corruption allegations would destroy the country’s machinery, he emphasized that the practice of maligning politicians must end.
“Because those who create this propaganda against politicians are far more corrupt than politicians,” he remarked.
In reply to a question, Fazl, who is also the head of the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), said preparations were under way for protests across the country. Fazl said he would soon visit Karachi where he would meet other opposition leaders to discuss the strategy for the protest to be held by the PDM on March 23.
