Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Sunday he believed that the general elections held in 2018 were worse in the country’s history in terms of rigging, but those held on February 8 turned out to be worst, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference at Korangi, Mehran Town in Karachi, Maulana Fazl said it was a fact that democracy was losing in the country while the parliament was winning.

Fazl further said that some politicians in the parliament thought they were leaders. “But the truth of the matter is that they have not been elected and do not enjoy people’s trust,” he said, adding, “That’s why I have come to Karachi so that I can take all party office-bearers into confidence before launching a countrywide campaign.”

The JUI-F chief made it clear that he had no personal issues with any state institution. “The real issue is that of masses,” he added.  

He said the loyalties of politicians were purchased to form governments in Sindh and Balochistan.

He said that in light of the 2024 general elections it is now a fact that democracy is losing its case and the parliament is losing its value. “The parliament that you are seeing is not the representative of the people, this parliament is a birth of rigging in which some people will call themselves leaders,” he said and added “They will not be able to rule their hearts as the the people will not accept it with their hearts.”

Maulana Fazl said that his party leadership decided to go to the parliament despite its reservations. Despite the decision to participate in parliamentary politics of the newly-elected National Assembly, he said that the party’s original position to reject the 2024 elections was being proven right. “In the history of Pakistan, we used to think that 2018 was the biggest rigging that took place in the general elections, however, 2024 has broken that record,” he said.

Reporter: Aqsa