LAKKI MARWAT: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has sped up poll drive as its central emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited Bannu on Sunday just a few days before the February 8 general elections.

A day after a successful power show in Lakki Marwat, the JUI-F chief addressed a big public meeting at sports complex in Bannu city to garner support of voters for the candidates affiliated with his party.

Besides several other parts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan divisions are considered the strongholds of the religious party. While speaking to the charged workers and supporters, Maulana Fazl asked people to vote for the JUI-F aspirants as the party was struggling for enforcement of Islamic laws in the country.

“People should reject those candidates, who have affiliation with the party pursuing a foreign agenda,” he said. He added that casting vote for such people was a crime as they were playing negative politics to harm the interests of the country.

Former chief minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani, former provincial minister Sher Azam Wazir, former deputy speaker of National Assembly Zahid Akram Durrani and JUI-F poll aspirants also spoke on the occasion.

The JUI-F chief said that his party did not believe in the politics of grabbing people’s votes to reach assemblies rather their struggle was for the rule of law and promulgation of Islamic system in the country.

“Those, who pursue foreign and Jewish agenda in the country, will find us a big obstacle to them as our party will not allow them to destroy Islamic norms and strong Pakhtun traditions,” he said. He alleging that former prime minister Imran Khan misled youth, stalled the economy and destroyed the very foundations of the country under a foreign conspiracy.

Maulana Fazl alleged that the former premier and PTI founder received funds from Israel, India and America to implement their anti-Pakistan agenda. He linked sustainable development and prosperity with lasting peace, saying that his recent visit to Afghanistan would prove helpful to improve ties between the two neighbouring countries and promote peace in Pakistan.

Later, the JUI-F chief proceeded to Karak district where he also addressed an election gathering.

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Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2024