Page 10 - Pakistan Link - October 18, 2019

P10 – PAKISTAN LINK – OCTOBER 18, 2019 OPINION
The Maulana Factor

n By Zahid Hussain Their own grievances and res-
ervations over the elections pulled
n November 2007, JUI-F chief in the PML-N and the PPP, though
Maulana Fazlur Rehman host- both remained wary. The maulana’s
Ied what was described in a crusade against the Khan govern-
confidential US embassy cable as ment was politically expedient for
a “jovial” dinner for the then US these parties under siege. Yet, there
ambassador Anne Patterson. He has been strong apprehension about
is said to have sought her help to the maulana’s own objective.
become prime minister and ex- Understandably, both the
pressed a wish to visit the US. PML-N and PPP rejected his pro-
After the meeting, accord- posal to quit parliament. It was ap-
ing to another cable accessed by parent that with no significant pres-
WikiLeaks, the US ambassador ence in parliament the JUI-F has few
mentioned the JUI-F chief’s “fa- stakes in the existing system, unlike
mously wily” political skills. “He the other two major opposition par-
has made it clear that his, still sig- ties. They were happy with the mau-
nificant, number of votes are up for lana upping the ante, but they were
sale,” she wrote in an official memo not ready to burn their boats.
to the State Department. The maulana’s own games also
This was the period when Paki- make them more cautious about
stan was in the midst of a popular his designs. The first breach in the
uprising against Gen Pervez Mush- loosely knit united front came dur-
arraf’s military-led government, and ing the presidential elections when
the crafty maulana could well have the maulana, instead of getting the
seen an opportunity for himself as a opposition parties to agree on Ait-
major player in the emerging power zaz Ahsan as a joint candidate, got
game. himself nominated by the PML-N,
He headed the Muttahida Ma- for granted, but it was America’s Bhutto was elected prime minister be his Waterloo. Not only did he lose to the indignation of the PPP.
jlis-i-Amal that was in power in KP support that he coveted. The JUI- in 1988. I still remember the mau- his own seat, he also saw his party Another contentious point is
at the time. He was also the leader F’s staunch anti-American public lana’s turnaround after just one ses- being virtually wiped out. He blames the maulana’s attempt to play the
of the opposition in the National stance and his pro-Taliban image sion with her. the army and America for the worst religious card in his anti-govern-
Assembly. That made him one of the did not come in the way of his prag- Since then, his party has been electoral defeat that his party has ment campaign. Being the head of
most powerful political figures in matism. ubiquitous in each administration ever suffered. Adding to the dis- the country’s largest religious po-
the country. One of Pakistan’s most color- — if not at center then surely in the grace was the fact that the elections litical party, the slogan of ‘Islam is in
Like many Pakistani political ful and devious politicians, Mau- provinces. Ideology takes a back seat brought to power his nemesis. danger’ comes in handy to whip up
leaders, he perhaps also believed lana Fazlur Rehman, as well as his when it comes to power. His sup- But not being one to take hu- religious sentiments.
that it required the support of ‘Al- party, remained an important part port would, however, not have come miliation lying down, he vowed to But one can ask what’s new in
lah, the army and America’ to reach of the country’s power structure for without a price. His demand for a bring down Imran Khan’s govern- using the religious card for political
the pedestal of power. There is little more than two decades, irrespec- share in patronage also earned him ment. For that, he needed to pull gains. Almost every political party
doubt about the maulana’s politi- tive of whichever government was the sobriquet of ‘Mullah Diesel’. His together the disparate opposition has used religion to undermine its
cal ambitions — he could go to any in power. He was initially opposed position as chairman of the Kashmir groups. He used the much-tried for- rivals. The PTI government should
extent to see the fulfilment of these. to women heading the government Committee virtually became a part mula of calling a multiparty confer- be the last one to criticize the mau-
The support of the Divine and the calling it un-Islamic, yet he jumped of his identity for many years. ence in order to form an anti-gov- lana on that count.
army he would probably have taken onto the bandwagon when Benazir But the last elections proved to ernment united front. MAULANA, P26

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