Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday urged the country’s military establishment to remain “neutral” during political battle between the ruling alliance and the Imran Khan-led PTI. “We have to fight a constitutional battle that’s why we are demanding establishment to remain neutral all institutions should work together to steer the country of crisis,” he said while addressing the party workers in Peshawar on Saturday, a private TV channel reported. Fazl said that the opposition is not scared of anyone, no matter how much they are powerful or are a part of any organisation. He said that the allied parties will fight a political and constitutional war instead of surrendering. “The coalition government will not become anyone’s slave,” he told the institutions. “If the institutions form cases against us, we will respond strongly against them,” said Fazl, claiming that “the institutions are standing with the PTI”. The PDM chief said that the coalition government will not get bullied by anyone. “All the allied parties will contest together in the by-elections,” he added. Criticising the Supreme Court’s decision on Pervez Elahi, Fazl said that the judiciary is the most important institution of the state and it is everyone’s duty to respect it. “However, the state gets destroyed if the judge becomes controversial by his behaviour and facilitates one side,” he highlighted, adding that there will be severe consequences if a judge, through his behaviour, shows he is taking sides with someone.
Talking about the current deteriorating situation of the country, Fazl said that he did not know that the situation has turned worse. “The PTI had stricken such deals with the international institutions which they are not obeying now and due to lack of trust, the International Monetary Fund and the United States are creating issues for the government,” said the JUI-F chief.
