ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has proposed a new Charter of Democracy as government and opposition leaders clash over Pakistan’s political crisis.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Rehman accused the federal government of misusing the Constitution and adopting unlawful measures.
He criticised the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Rehman warned that his party would resist further confrontation. However, he urged political leaders to resolve their differences through talks.
He also expressed regret over the failure of his earlier efforts to mediate between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The JUI-F chief argued that growing intolerance had weakened parliament’s ability to settle political disputes. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected his criticism on Thursday.
Asif suggested that Rehman’s opposition to the KP measures reflected his exclusion from the province’s new political arrangements.
Read: Mohsin Naqvi Warns Fazlur Rehman Over Remarks on State
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged opposition lawmakers to return to parliamentary committees.
Addressing the National Assembly on Thursday, Bilawal called on Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to encourage members to take part in House proceedings.
He accused the opposition of contributing to parliament’s failure to address public concerns. “You have played a part in helping these people achieve their objective,” Bilawal told opposition lawmakers.
Read: JUI-F Calls Meeting on KP Emergency, Governor’s Rule
The PPP chairman also urged the opposition to participate in the electoral reforms committee. Separately, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry defended the emergency and governor’s rule in KP.
He said the government introduced the measures to address security threats, not to target political opponents. Chaudhry told lawmakers that governor’s rule would end after six months. However, the emergency would continue until authorities restored peace.
