PPP hits back at Maulana Fazl over no-confidence move allegations

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has strongly rejected the allegations levelled by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and then ISI DG general Faiz Hameed asked the PPP to initiate no-trust move against PTI founder chairman and then-prime minister Imran Khan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Friday, PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi said that General Faiz Hameed had nothing to do with the no-confidence move against then PTI government. He said at the time of vote of no-confidence Faiz Hameed was not ISI director general, he was Corps Commander Peshawar.

He further said that Maulana Fazl was the head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement at the time and could have stopped the no-confidence move, adding the JUI-F chief benefited the most from the move.

Kundi claimed maximum benefits of the non-confidence move were cherished by the JUI-F chief but now the Maulana had realized that the PTI chief was punished wrongly.

The PPP leader claimed that Maulana Fazl was a “spent cartridge” in the politics. He said public saw big change in PTI and JUI-F when both parties made compromises on their stances and joined hands to protest together against the alleged irregularities in general elections.

The PPP leader further said that the Maulana was raising hue and cry over the defeat of his son from Tank constituency.

Kundi maintained that a PTI delegation had visited the JUI-F chief yesterday. He said Maulana Fazl had alleged that his party’s mandate was stolen. “If it was stolen, then who was it given to? To the same delegation who visited him yesterday.”

Responding to a question, Kundi said the party will field its own candidates for president, National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman. He said the PPP has pledged support for the PML-N for the prime minister’s election because the country “cannot afford another election right now”, adding there was “no other option”.

Kundi said “We are a majority party in Balochistan currently, and the way we’re supporting political parties in Punjab and the Centre, we hope to receive the same support in Balochistan.”

Kundi added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will soon announce candidates for the position of chief ministers in Sindh and Balochistan.