PML‑N’s Abid Sher Ali dismisses Fazlur Rehman’s political lessons

PML‑N leader Abid Sher Ali took aim at Jamiat Ulema‑e‑Islam (JUI‑F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, questioning the cleric’s political stance and recalling the party’s earlier support for former President Pervez Musharraf’s constitutional actions. Speaking to reporters, Sher Ali said Maulana Fazlur Rehman could explain the source of his anger, noting that he is well aware of the history of the Eighth Amendment.

He reminded listeners that his own party had opposed the Legal Framework Order and the emergency rule, while other groups had backed Musharraf’s moves. “Musharraf brought terrorism and instability to the country,” Sher Ali asserted. He also raised doubts about past political arrangements in which a party holding just 40 seats was given the opposition leadership and the chairmanship of the Kashmir Committee.

“We do not need political lessons from anyone. We stand with the state and its institutions,” he declared, warning that there would be no compromise with those who attack state organs. Sher Ali added that the government is working toward a meaningful dialogue on all issues.

He noted that Pakistan is currently fighting a war on terrorism, with security personnel sacrificing their lives each day. “The sacrifices of the martyrs send a clear message of peace and security,” he said, urging all sections of society to unite in order to eradicate terrorism and secure lasting peace. Referring to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Sher Ali challenged the JUI‑F chief to explain whether he is “playing on both sides,” and called on the public to decide if they want to stand with the nation or with terrorists.

When asked how the government would respond to a sit‑in or long march organized by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Sher Ali noted that the cleric had staged similar marches in the past and that his own party had welcomed them. He described a long march as a democratic right and said there is no objection to peaceful protest that stays within the constitutional and legal framework.

Sher Ali also dismissed claims of a political conspiracy against PML‑N President Nawaz Sharif, stating that no such plot is underway against him. He concluded that any conspiracy being hatched now would be fundamentally against Pakistan.