MAULANA Fazlur Rehman is generally considered as a voice of reason as he speaks with logic on different issues but his party has apparently adopted an illogical position on the issue of rigging in the general election. Its leader Hafiz Hamdullah has claimed that it was an irrevocable decision of the party not to join the government, adding the incumbent government should resign and fresh elections be held. Giving rationale for demand for fresh elections, he claimed that the current parliament is not representative of the people of Pakistan.
The JUI(F) and its leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman have rendered valuable services for the cause of democracy and the parliamentary system but the demand for fresh elections at the beginning of the tenure of the new parliament is uncalled-for. Of course, some parties including the JUI(F) have reservations about fairness of the general election but interestingly, so far, none of them has been able to prove this in a court of law or at the relevant forum(s). The general election-2024 was held in the country after a fairly long period of political turmoil and instability which caused colossal economic losses to the nation in terms of lost opportunities and disruption of policies. The Constitution and the law provide an elaborate mechanism to address electoral grievances and instead of rocket the boat again these should be agitated there with proper evidence. It is acknowledged by all stakeholders that the country was passing through a critical phase and it was because of extreme polarization that it has become vulnerable to machinations by the global institutions and powerful players. The present government, backed by Pak Army, has launched a number of initiatives to stabilize the economy and reform the system. People of Pakistan and in a way all political parties stand to gain if the country succeeds in its efforts to bring its economy back on track and, therefore, it is the national responsibility of all stakeholders to extend their sincere cooperation to achieve this cherished objective. Political parties are entitled to carry out activities to remain relevant in politics but this should be done while remaining strictly within the bounds of decency.
