ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday denied all reports claiming that he was considering contesting the by-elections.
It had earlier been reported that Fazl was considering to contest the by-polls in Bannu’s NA-35 constituency, in which Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Akram Khan Durrani was defeated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. The PTI chairman had decided to vacate the seat and keep NA-95 Mianwali instead.
On Tuesday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman denied all such speculations and forwarded his decision to the provincial Majlis-e-Shura of the party, clarifying that he would not contest the by-elections.
It is worth mentioning here that the JUI-F chief had contested the elections from the platform of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). Following his defeat, Fazl rejected the elections and alleged that the elections were rigged. He also convened an all-parties conference (APC) to rally the opposition around him.
However, the alliance faltered as the opposition, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), decided to be a part the parliament despite expressing reservations over the conduct of the polls.