Political setbacks drive Pakistan cross-bencher’s anti-establishment turn

The chief of Pakistan’s largest religio-political party, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has once again raised the political temperature, declaring that “decisions will now be made by the people, not by parliament or the powerful institutions.”

Fazlur Rehman, who heads the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), made the remarks during a rally in Dera Ghazi Khan, a city in southern Punjab. He accused the government and the country’s influential establishment of undermining democracy, vowing to “liberate Islamabad from incompetent rulers” and reclaim the people’s rights.

His fiery speech marks another turn in his decades-long career blending religious conservatism with populist politics. But observers say his latest move reveals more about frustration than momentum.

Legal defeat and political isolation

Sources within Fazlur Rehman’s party confirmed that the JUI-F recently suffered a legal setback when a court dismissed its petition challenging the oath of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi.

The party had expected its coalition partners — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — to back the legal challenge. Instead, both parties distanced themselves once the case was filed.

According to insiders, senior figures including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar advised the JUI-F to pursue a constitutional route initially but later went silent, leaving Fazlur Rehman politically isolated.

Party members claim that Pakistan’s “powerful quarters” — a term widely used to describe the country’s military establishment — pressured Fazlur Rehman to withdraw the petition. That pressure, they said, has added to growing disillusionment within the party.

In an earlier press conference, the JUI-F had accused CM Afridi — a nominee of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party — of having an “anti-state agenda.”

Fazlur Rehman argued that the federal government’s sudden change in stance on Afridi’s appointment reflected confusion within the ruling setup — confusion that now seems to have reached his own party.

Analysts see frustration, not strategy

Political analysts describe Fazlur Rehman’s current position as one of drift and frustration. While he alternates between pursuing constitutional means and calling for street protests, his direction remains unclear.

Senior journalist and analyst Salman Ghani told Nukta that Fazlur Rehman is not confused — he is frustrated. “During the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, he was content because he had influence and access to power. Now that he feels sidelined, he seems restless and indecisive,” Ghani said.

He added that unfulfilled promises — such as the presidency or control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — have deepened his resentment. “The PML-N and PPP did not stand by him when it mattered, though Nawaz Sharif has reportedly asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to take care of Maulana politically,” Ghani added.

‘A pressure tactic’

Senior journalist and television anchor Asma Shirazi described Fazlur Rehman’s latest stance as a deliberate pressure move.

“Maulana has crafted a space for himself in the National Assembly and could even emerge as the next Leader of the Opposition,” Shirazi told Nukta. “His call for decisions on the streets is a classic pressure tactic — a way to regain relevance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and compel the government to engage.”

Despite recent electoral defeats, she added, Fazlur Rehman remains a significant political player whose maneuvers could influence Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape in the coming months.

Pressure or protest?

Political observers say Fazlur Rehman’s threat of taking “decisions to the streets” is more rhetorical than revolutionary. Yet, the absence of a concrete protest plan, the retreat of his allies, and the pressure from Pakistan’s power centers to withdraw his legal challenge have left the JUI-F adrift.

For a leader known for his tactical flexibility, the challenge now is to convert street rhetoric into meaningful political leverage — or risk fading into irrelevance in a system he once helped sustain.