Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the JUI‑F chief, cautioned that Pakistan would crumble if the military, bureaucracy and elected bodies overstep their constitutional limits, speaking to a packed crowd in Multan on Friday.
His speech followed the October 11 emergency and governor’s rule imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by President Asif Ali Zardari on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet, which ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s provincial administration.
Rehman denounced the move as an assault on democracy, labeling Sharif’s government a "fake" regime and accusing the Pakistan Peoples Party and President Zardari of overreaching power. He vowed to fight the imbalance through parliamentary means.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz shot back, saying Rehman’s comments "hurt every patriotic Pakistani" and accusing him of backing those she calls incompetent, mismanaging and corrupt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.