PESHAWAR  - After hour-long consultation, Maulana Fazlur Rehman was re-elected as central ameer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) unopposed for the next three-year while Minister of State Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri retained his office as central general secretary, defeating his rival candidate in the intra-party elections held here on Monday.
The withdrawal of Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani from the race of the central office of the party paved the way for Maulana Fazlur Rehman to be re-elected for the sixth consecutive term as chief of his own faction of JUI-F.
However, the available 487 members of the general council of the JUI-F polled votes in the intra-party elections for the office of general secretary.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was re-elected as central general secretary after securing 393 votes. His rival candidate Mufti Kifayatullah obtained 93 votes in the secret ballot held at the provincial secretariat of the party under the supervision of Malik Sikandar Advocate, former speaker Balochistan Assembly as a head of election committee.
In his brief chat with media persons after his election, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the JUI-F would not accept any unconstitutional change. The statements issued by Dr Tahirul Qadari are tantamount to civil disobedience. “Arresting, beating and making hostage police were the acts of civil disobedience,” he added.
Moreover, he wondered that Maulana Sufi Mohammad had been sent behind the bar for issuing statements against constitution, parliament and democracy while Tahirul Qadri has been given free hand for speaking against state and its democratic institutions.
Apart from, he said that the government should not take serious the PTI’s march.
He asked the federal government not to create any hurdles in the PTI’s scheduled August 14 protest march in Islamabad as holding of public meetings and rallies were part of democracy unless it did not create problems for common people and violate law.
He ruled out the impression of any military takeover in the prevailing circumstances, saying that leading national political parties were united for democracy and civil rule in the country. He also ridiculed the demand of Imran Khan for midterm elections in December, as the weather would not be suitable for holding polls in that month.