Wikipedia

Fazal-ur-Rehman (politician)

For other people with similar names, see Fazal ur Rahman (disambiguation).

Fazal-ur-Rehman (Urdu: مولانا فضل الرحمان; born 19 June 1953) is a Pakistani politician who is the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F).[2] He is also the president of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition of political parties which ousted then prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He has been a member of the National Assembly since February 2024 and previously served in that position between 1988 and 2018. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 2004 to 2007. He is a supporter of the Taliban government in Afghanistan and has demanded for its international recognition.[3] In the 1980s, he was part of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), which was formed to end the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq.[4]

Fazal-ur-Rehman
فضل الرحمان
Leader of the Opposition
In office
25 March 2004 – 15 November 2007
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Prime MinisterShaukat Aziz
Preceded byBenazir Bhutto
Succeeded byChaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
President of Pakistan Democratic Movement
In office
20 September 2020 – September 2023
President of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 March 2018
President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)
Incumbent
Assumed office
1980
Preceded byMufti Mahmud
Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir
In office
August 2013 – 31 May 2018
In office
16 September 2008 – 24 March 2013
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Mamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterYousuf Raza Gilani
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Nawaz Sharif
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
In office
2008–2013
Chairman of Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
In office
1993–1996
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 February 2024
ConstituencyNA-265 Pishin
In office
1 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
ConstituencyNA-24 (D.I. Khan)
In office
17 March 2008 – 31 May 2013
ConstituencyNA-26 (Bannu)
In office
18 November 2002 – 18 November 2007
ConstituencyNA-24 (D.I. Khan)
In office
16 October 1993 – 5 November 1996
ConstituencyNA-18 Dera Ismail Khan
In office
2 December 1988 – 6 August 1990
ConstituencyNA-18 Dera Ismail Khan
Personal details
Born (1953-06-19) 19 June 1953 (age 71)
Abdul Khel, NWFP, Pakistan
Political partyJamiat Ulama-e-Islam
Other political
affiliations		Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) (2002–2008)
ChildrenAsad Mehmood[1]
Parent
RelativesMaulana Lutf ur Rehman (brother)
Atta-ur-Rehman (brother)

Rehman is a pro-Taliban politician, known for his close ties to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[5][6][7] He has attempted to re-brand himself as a moderate without connections to religious extremists and hardliners.[5] In the past, he has called for imposition of Sharia in Pakistan. Being a follower of Mahmud Hasan Deobandi who campaigned for liberation against the British Raj but later restricted his members from armed struggle after establishing Political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Rehman opposed armed struggle to impose shariah laws as it leads to extremism in society.[8] When in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2004 to 2007, his party passed the 'Hasba Bill' which was later declared illegal and unconstitutional.[9][10] Through this bill, he believed that he would be following in his father Mufti Mahmud's footsteps, as he tried to implement 'Nizam-e-Mustafa', which his father struggled for throughout his political life. However, it was declared unconstitutional by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry.[11]

After defeat in the 2018 Pakistani general election, Rehman was ejected from the National Assembly and failed to win major political support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bagging only 10 of the 99 seats in his home turf. Alleging election fraud, 11 opposition political parties formed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) [12] appointing Rehman as the president of this movement.[13]

Early life

Rehman was born on 19 June 1953[14] (1 September according to another report) to a Marwat Pashtun family,[15] in the village of Abul Kheel in Dera Ismail Khan.[16][17] His father, Mufti Mahmud, was an Islamic scholar of the Deobandi branch and a politician who served as the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 1972 to 1973.[6]

His early education was from Millat High School, Multan and was a student of Mussarat Baig and Syed Iqbal Shah.[citation needed] He attained a Bachelor's degree (B.A) in 1983 from University of Peshawar and completed his master's degree at Al-Azhar University Cairo.[18] During his early religious training and education (Ilm Us Saraf, Ilm Un Nahv, Logic) he remained the disciple of Mufti Muhammad Essa Gurmani and Molana Abdul Ghaffor Gurmani of Shadan Lund before studying Sharah-e-Mata-e-Aamil and Hidayat-un-Nahv with Muhammad Ameer of Chudwan in a Madrassa at Jhok wains Multan .[19] He was a student of Abdul Haq Akorwi, Hasan Jan, and Syed Sher Ali Shah during his Shahadat-ul Alamia at Darul Uloom Haqqania.[20]

Political career

Rehman began his political career as the secretary general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in 1980 at the age of 27. This was after the death of his father Mufti Mahmud who was the leader of the party before his death.[6][21]

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam later split into two factions in the mid-1980s with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) led by Fazal.[6][21][5] Rehman was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1988 Pakistani general elections for the first time on from D.I. Khan seat.[21][6] He then made connections with Afghan Taliban.[21] Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1990 Pakistani general elections for the second time on from D.I. Khan seat but did not win the election.[21] Rehman was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1993 Pakistani general elections for the second time on Islamic Jamhoori Mahaz ticket from D.I. Khan seat.[21] Fazal was appointed as the chairman of the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs in National Assembly of Pakistan.[6][21] Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1997 Pakistani general elections for the fourth time but did not win the election.[21]

Rehman led several anti-American protests and pro-Taliban rallies in the major cities of Pakistan following the war in Afghanistan in 2001. He criticised President of United States George W. Bush, and threatened to launch jihad against the United States if the bombings continued. He also criticised and warned President of the Pakistan Pervez Musharraf that he would be overthrown if he continued to support the “War on Terror”.[21][6] In October 2001, Pervez Musharraf placed Fazal under house arrest in his native village Abdul Khel[22] for inciting the citizens of Pakistan against the armed forces of Pakistan and for trying to overthrow the government of Pakistan. Later in March 2002, Fazal was set free and the cases against him were withdrawn.[6][21]

Rehman was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2002 Pakistani general elections for the third time on Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ticket.[21] He won on two seats, NA-24 and NA-25, the later was vacated. Upon winning the election, Fazal became a potential candidate for the post of prime minister of Pakistan but was not appointed.[21][6] He served as the leader of the opposition from 2004 to 2007.[23]

Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2008 Pakistani general elections for the sixth time on Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ticket from two constituencies, NA-24, D.I. Khan which is his traditional constituency and NA-26, Bannu[24] In September 2008, he was elected chairman of the Kashmir committee of the National Assembly of Pakistan.[25] Rehman was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan for the fourth time on Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ticket from Bannu constituency,[21] but he lost the election in D.I. Khan constituency.[21] By 2008, Fazal distanced himself from Taliban and called himself a moderate.[21]

In May 2014, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave him the status of a federal minister for being the chairman of special committee of the National Assembly on Kashmir.[26] In August 2017, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gave him the same status again.[26] Upon the dissolution of the National Assembly on the expiration of its term on 31 May 2018, he ceased to hold the status of a federal minister.[27] In March 2018, he became head of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal[28] which was revived in December 2017.[29] Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2018 Pakistani general elections from Dera Ismail Khan's constituencies, NA38 and NA 39 but did not win.[30]

On 27 August 2018, several opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League (N), nominated him as a candidate in the 2018 presidential election.[31] On 4 September 2018, he clinched 184 electoral votes behind Arif Alvi (352) and ahead of Aitzaz Ahsan (124) in the election.[32]

2007 dinner with US Ambassador

According to leaked diplomatic cables, in 2007 Rehman invited then US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, to a dinner in which he sought her support in becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan and expressed a desire to visit America. The ambassador wrote in her notes that Fazl sees himself as a Kingmaker. Fazl also reportedly told the ambassador that his votes were up for sale.[33][7]

Reception

Rehman opposed the Huqooq-e-Niswan bill in 2016 claiming that it was un-Islamic.[34] Rehman also rejected the Women's Protection Bill in 2016, which protects domestic violence victims, claiming that the judicial execution of Mumtaz Qadri was wrong and declared that he was a martyr, rallying other right-wing religious parties to do the same.[35]

Opposition to PTI

On numerous occasions, Rehman has displayed severe opposition to Imran Khan and his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). In 2013 Rehman declared voting for the PTI as haram (religiously prohibited), asserting Khan to be supported by the West and the Jewish lobby and explicitly calling him an agent of "Americans, Jews, Ahmadis and a person of ill character".[36][37]

Former JUI-F leader Muhammad Khan Sherani took to Twitter and said that when he asked Fazl ur-Rehman does he have proof that Imran Khan is a Jewish and Indian agent, Fazal responded with "it's just a political statement".[38]

Azadi March

Main article: 2019 Azadi March

In late 2019 Rehman led a march towards Islamabad with the intent to sit-in, until PM Imran Khan resigned from office.[39] rs[40] [citation needed] The Azadi March which translates as "Freedom March" started from Sukkur on 27 October 2019, and travelled Sindh and Punjab;[citation needed] other political parties also joined the march which reached Islamabad on 31 October 2019. Rehman also addressed the participants at different points on the journey. However, he could not reach his aims and ended the march on 16 November 2019.[41]

Pakistan Democratic Movement

Main article: Pakistan Democratic Movement

In 2020, Rehman was unanimously elected as the leader of the coalition of political parties against the PTI government, the Pakistan Democratic Movement. Nawaz Sharif even favoured this appointment to be on a permanent basis but was opposed by others.[42]

Attacks

Convoy attack

Mufti Abrar, the party's spokesperson, stated that on 31 December 2023 the politician's convoy was fired upon from multiple sides at Yarik interchange in Dera Ismail Khan, Fazl's home city.[43][44][45] While passing through DI Khan, the JUI-F chief's convoy was ambushed. In response to a question about his safety, he gave assurance that the veteran was in safe hands. President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif, responded to the incident by denouncing the attack on Fazl's convoy and expressing relief over the politician's safety.[46]

On 5 December during a press appearance in Islamabad, the politician commented:

"There is no police in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat. Can the polls be staged in this situation of unrest?".[47]

Condemning the attack on the JUI-F chief, party leader Hafiz Hamdullah termed the incident as a nefarious move to prevent the party from taking part in the electoral process.[48] Taking note of the reports, the interior secretary has requested a report on the event. “Miscreants will not be allowed to spread chaos and sow discord in the country,” said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior.[49]

2023 Khar bombing

Main article: 2023 Khar bombing

In July 2023, around 63 JUI-F workers were killed in a suicide attack not long before the previous attack that was directed towards the party's workers' conference in Khar, Bajaur.[50]

Bibliography

Books by him

  • Navīd-i Inqilāb : Maulānā Faz̤lurraḥmān Ke Inṭarviyūz kā Majmūʻah, 1987, 117 p. Collection of interviews on the political conditions in Pakistan. Edited by ʻAbdulvadūd Shāhid.
  • Insānī Huqūq, 2000, 136 p. On human rights as interpreted in Islam, with particular reference to the role of NGO's in Pakistan. Edited by Raḥīm Ḥaqqanī.
  • Z̤arb-i Darvesh, 2000, 446 p. Interviews on his anti-US movement; includes newspaper editorials and columns praising the movement. Edited by Riyāz̤ Durrānī.
  • K̲h̲ut̤bāt-i Qāʼid-i Jamʻīyat, 2002, 2 volumes. Collection of speeches in defense of radical Islamic movements in different countries and against alleged American designs to rule the world. Edited by Momin K̲h̲ān ʻUs̲mānī.
  • Mushāfihāt, 2017, 3 volumes. Collected interviews. Edited by Amīrzādah K̲h̲ān Yūsufzaʼī.

Books about him

  • ʻAbdulqayyūm Shaik̲h̲, Maulānā Faz̤lurraḥmān Ka Siyāsī Safar, 2004, 514 p. On his political struggle.
  • Momin K̲h̲ān ʻUs̲mānī, Maulānā Faẓlurraḥmān : Shak̲h̲ṣiyyat O Kirdār, 2017, 808 p. Biography.
  • Maulānā Muḥammad Qāsim Ḥaqqānī, Mīr-i Kārvān̲ Maulānā Faẓlurraḥmán : Duniyāʼe Saḥāfat Kī Naz̤ar Men̲, 2017, 188 p. Collection of news articles on the politics of Faz̤lurraḥmān, published in various newspapers.

See more

References

  1. ^ Hussain, Javed (7 August 2018). "MMA announces name of Fazl's son as nominee for NA deputy speaker post". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Anyone killed by US is a 'martyr': Fazlur Rehman". The Express Tribune. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Pakistan's Islamic parties push for Taliban recognition in Afghanistan". Deutsche Welle. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Maulana's style of politics". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "PARTY PROFILES: The party's on -DAWN – Herald Election 2008;". Dawn. 7 September 2008. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Profile: Maulana Fazlur Rahman". BBC. 6 November 2002. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  7. ^ a b Walsh, Declan (30 November 2010). "Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari 'Prepared for Assassination' – WikiLeaks Cables Profiling Husband of Late Benazir Bhutto Say He Has Named His Successor Should He Also Be Killed". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Armed struggle for Shariah enforcement un-Islamic: Fazl". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  9. ^ Hussain, Shahid (2005). "State's ruling alliance passes Hasba Bill". Gulf News.
  10. ^ "Text of Hasba bill". DAWN.COM. 16 July 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Supreme Court Blocks Hasba Bill". All Things Pakistan. 15 December 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Politics of alliances and PDM". The Express Tribune. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Maulana Fazl unanimously appointed PDM chief". The Express Tribune. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  14. ^ "If elections are held on time…". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  15. ^ Ehtasham Khan (18 July 2003). "Why did the Pak Maulana visit Deoband?". Rediff. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  16. ^ Guidère, Mathieu (2012). Historical Dictionary of Islamic Fundamentalism. Scarecrow Press. p. 365. ISBN 9780810879652. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  17. ^ "Detail Information". 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ "(in urdu)فضل الرحمٰن". Archived from the original on 19 October 2019.
  19. ^ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی زندگی: حالات و واقعات, Lutfullah Hanfi, Peshawar: Maktaba Umar Farooq.
  20. ^ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی زندگی: حالات و واقعات, Lutfullah Hanfi, Peshawar: Maktaba Umar Farooq
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Maulana Fazlur Rehman". DAWN.COM. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  22. ^ "Maulana Fazl, Samiul Haq under house arrest". DAWN.COM. 8 October 2001. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  23. ^ Trivedi, Dinesh (3 June 2007). "India, Pak MPs clash over draft declaration on Kashmir". Outlook India. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  24. ^ "32 titanic clashes on the cards". DAWN.COM. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  25. ^ "Fazl elected chairman of NA's Kashmir committee". DAWN.COM. 17 September 2008. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  26. ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (27 August 2017). "Status of federal minister conferred on Fazl". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Notification" (PDF). Cabinet division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  28. ^ Ghori, Habib Khan (21 March 2018). "Maulana Fazl to head recently revived MMA". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  29. ^ Ghori, Habib Khan (14 December 2017). "Five religious parties join forces to revive MMA". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  30. ^ "No country for old faces: Pakistan votes out established politicians". Tribune.com.pk. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  31. ^ "Opposition, sans PPP nominate Fazl as presidential candidate". The News. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  32. ^ Chaudhry, Fahad (5 September 2018). "PTI's Arif Alvi officially declared winner of 13th presidential election". Dawn.
  33. ^ "WikiLeaks: Fazlur Rehman's votes were 'up for sale'". June 2011.
  34. ^ "Women protection bill will destroy home affairs, says Fazlur Rehman - Pakistan - Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  35. ^ Ali, Kalbe (6 March 2016). "Religious parties reject women protection bill". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Political 'fatwa': Voting for PTI is haram, says Maulana Fazl". The Express Tribune. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  37. ^ "A PTI vote is a haram vote: JUI-F". Pakistan Today. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Sherani criticises Fazl's 'fatwa' against Imran". 25 August 2022.
  39. ^ "JUI-F's Azadi March to enter Islamabad via Faizabad Interchange | Samaa Digital". Samaa TV. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  40. ^ "How many people are participating in Fazlur Rehman's Azadi March?". The News. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  41. ^ "Fazlur Rehman ended march after understanding with govt, claims Pervaiz Elahi". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  42. ^ "Maulana Fazlur Rehman unanimously appointed as head of Pakistan's new anti-govt alliance PDM - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  43. ^ "Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman's convoy attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa". Khaama Press. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  44. ^ "Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Report". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  45. ^ "Fazl's convoy 'comes under attack' in Dera Ismail Khan". The Express Tribune. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  46. ^ "Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Report". NDTV.com. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. Reacting to the incident, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack on Fazl's convoy and expressed relief over the politico's safety.
  47. ^ "Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Report". NDTV.com. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. "There is no police in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat. Can the polls be staged in this situation of unrest?" The senior politician wondered while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on December 5.
  48. ^ "Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Report". NDTV.com. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. Condemning the attack on the JUI-F chief, party leader Hafiz Hamdullah termed the incident as a nefarious move to prevent the party from taking part in the electoral process.
  49. ^ "Fazl's convoy 'comes under attack' in Dera Ismail Khan". The Express Tribune. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. "Miscreants will not be allowed to spread chaos and sow discord in the country," said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior.
  50. ^ "Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 63". Aljazeera. 2 August 2023.
National Assembly of Pakistan
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2004–2007 		Succeeded by
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