(Daily Point) — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced on Monday that his party rejected election results and would take to the streets in protest against ‘rigging’.

Speaking after a meeting of the party in Islamabad, Fazal said that the rigging in 2024 had even broken records set in the election of 2018. He also invited the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to sit with him on opposition benches in parliament.

“It appears decisions will now be made on the streets rather than in the assemblies,” stated Maulana, expressing dissatisfaction with recent developments. He rejected the Election Commission of Pakistan’s assertion of transparent polls, suggesting that the legitimacy of the May 9 narrative has been undermined.

Maulana alleged evidence of bribery during the election, asserting that some individuals secured entire assemblies through financial transactions. He urged the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz to join the opposition alongside JUI but emphasized that the final decision on protest plans would involve consultation with the party’s general body.

In a notable shift, Maulana adopted a milder stance towards the PTI, suggesting that his disagreement was intellectual rather than personal. When asked about potential unity against electoral irregularities, he remarked that shared faith could unite disparate parties.

Addressing the establishment’s role in politics, Maulana stated that if it refrained from interference, it would be respected as a symbol of authority. However, he warned of a political response if the establishment persisted in meddling.