Islamabad [Pakistan], August 12 : Criticising the government over the country's economic situation, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called the members of Parliament in Pakistan as "fake representatives" of people, reported Geo News.
The JUI-F chief, who has labelled the February 9 general elections "rigged", has since been demanding fresh polls to ensure that people can elect their true representatives to the legislature.
Following the 2024 elections, the religio-political party fell out with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), citing allegations of vote rigging, interference, and manipulation of the poll results.
The JUI-F chief has also been in talks with Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for devising a strategy to force the incumbent government into new elections, as reported by Geo News.
"Fake representatives of the people are sitting in Parliament, not the real ones, [...] who don't think about the masses," Fazl said while addressing a traders' convention in Peshawar.
He further stated that if any country in the region was regressing, it was Pakistan.
He slammed the government for the increased taxes, something that has irked the inflation-hit masses and opposition parties alike, saying that "the only thing that has not been taxed yet is breathing".
Jamat-e-Islami (JI) is also pushing for a reduction in taxes. The party recently ended its nearly two-week-long protest sit-in in Rawalpindi following "successful negotiations" with the federal government, ARY News reported.
"Why should we pay the taxes when people know their money will be used to repay foreign loans," he stated, adding, "This is not how the countries are run, politicians run the country."
In his recent statement against the ruling coalition, Fazl, whose party was once a close ally of PML-N and PPP, said, "I had informed Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif) the country's economy has collapsed."
He asked why sub-standard wheat was imported when the farmers in the country had it in stock.
The JUI-F chief then called for the facilitation of the traders and farmers, saying that the country wouldn't stabilise as long as its economy is not strong.
Fazl added that Pakistan was going through a critical situation and his party could play a role in strengthening the economy, ARY News reported.
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