Pakistan’s religio-political leader suggests shake-up in PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of one of Pakistan’s largest religious parties, has floated the idea of a change in the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, suggesting it would be more effective if initiated from within the ruling party.

Rehman leads the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), a party with deep roots in conservative politics and Islamic seminaries across Pakistan. It plays a central role in opposition alliances and wields considerable influence in political negotiations, especially in KP and Balochistan.

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar on Saturday, the politician remarked that while the province needed a political shift, it would be preferable if PTI members themselves took the lead. “If the PTI holds the majority, then change should emerge from within that majority,” he said. “If those same people unite to restructure the provincial setup, it will be far more stable.”

He emphasized that an opposition-led intervention could trigger instability, warning that the province could not afford fresh political unrest. “A proactive, internal adjustment is the wiser path to avert turmoil,” he cautioned.

Rehman confirmed early-stage discussions with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), noting that the talks were still exploratory.

“It is premature to comment on any possible seat adjustments for the upcoming Senate elections or broader political developments,” he added.

While reaffirming his call for change, Rehman stressed that PTI -- as the majority party -- bore the responsibility to act. He hinted at future dialogue but only if PTI reassessed its political stance. “Our disagreement is political, not personal,” he clarified.

Security, FATA merger and political drift

Rehman also expressed alarm over KP’s deteriorating security, attributing the rise in militancy and public anxiety to the provincial government’s failure to enforce law and order. “People don’t feel safe anymore -- many are afraid to even leave their homes,” he said.

Rejecting the presence of armed groups or extrajudicial actors, he declared: “We do not accept the rule of the gun or vigilante forces in any form.”

He further criticized the 2018 merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with KP, calling it a flawed and poorly debated decision. “The constitutional amendment was passed without meaningful discussion. All political parties blindly followed it, and it wasn’t in the national interest,” he said, urging a reassessment of the merger.

The JUI-F chief also revealed that his party was consulting its allies on next steps in the province and hinted at the possibility of an All-Parties Conference (APC) to address KP’s growing instability. “The party is considering convening an APC soon to deliberate on the province’s deteriorating situation,” he said.

Changing numbers and rising pressure

Speculation over a possible shift in KP’s power structure has grown since the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the allocation of reserved seats, which held that PTI and its ally, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), were ineligible to claim them.

Before the ruling, opposition parties held just 28 seats -- not enough to even requisition a session of the provincial assembly -- while the PTI-led coalition commanded a comfortable majority with 92 members. The verdict, however, has reshaped the political arithmetic, boosting the opposition’s numbers to 53.

Opposition leaders now claim they are in contact with several independents previously aligned with PTI, suggesting that a no-confidence move could be in the works. With the path to forming a government now theoretically within reach, political maneuvering in KP appears to be intensifying.