PESHAWAR: Maulana Fazlur Rahman has been chosen as the central chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri as general secretary for another five-year term.

The elections for the purpose were held at the party’s general council’s meeting here on Saturday and Sunday. The meeting was attended by the council members from across the country.

The meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rahman in the chair continued till the filing of this report. The central general secretary and provincial chiefs of the party presented performance reports in the meeting. The party leaders from all the provinces, tribal districts, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir also made a thorough assessment of the activities and preparations for the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8, 2024.

The meeting also discussed in detail the situation in Gaza and the party standpoint on the issue. The meeting also took stock of the political situation of the country. The party leadership expressed satisfaction over the reports presented during the meeting.

Directives were issued to the provincial leadership of the party to expedite preparations for the general elections.

Meanwhile, central Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rahman has said that they could have differences with the institution but not permanent enmity with them.

“We would continue to speak against the wrong. We know how to protect our mandate and we would never tolerate rigging at any cost,” he said in his late-night concluding address to the two-day central general council meeting of his party here on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by members of the council from across the country including Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and tribal districts.

The meeting also elected the Maulana as party chief for another five-year tenure.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that they would continue to oppose political engineering and rigging of elections. “Rigging of elections is the most heinous crime. We would not allow it even if it is done in our favor,” he said.

He said that some 30 members of PTI left their party in the National Assembly but the alliance of political parties headed by him did not accept those dissident members of the then ruling party.

He said that JUI was against lawlessness and was demanding peace in the country. He pointed the finger at decisions being taken currently in the country, saying that if those were state’s decisions where was parliament then.

Regarding democracy, the Maulana said that democracy was the name of certain conditions and a situation. In democracy, greater number of people are engaged. There is no enforced leadership in Islamic state.

He said that the JUI has always raised its voice in favor of oppressed people across the world. “We spoke against the US atrocities in different parts of the world. When the whole world was silent over the crimes against humanity in Myanmar, we got resolutions passed against it in the parliament,” he said.