Gen Faiz, Gen Bajwa orchestrated no-confidence move: claims Fazlur Rehman

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s claims pertaining to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s ouster in 2022 via a no-confidence vote have triggered a new debate and raised eyebrows across Pakistan.

In an interview, The JUIF Chief claimed that Imran Khan was taken out of power on the the directives of ex-army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former spymaster Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid.

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – a multi-party alliance led by Fazlur Rehman— had tabled the no-confidence motion in March 2022.

The move paved the way for a coalition government headed by Shehhaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Fazl was referring to a meeting conducted at ISI Mess at Margalla Road with then COAS on March 26, 2022, and at that time, Hamid was neither serving in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) nor was part of the meeting. Other noticeable attendees were PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and, DG ISI Ahmed Anjum and others political leaders.

Balochistan National Party (BNP) President Akhtar Mengal, Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) leader Shahzain Bugti, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui were also present in the meeting.

The sources revealed that Gen Bajwa had asked the opposition leaders to withdraw the no-confidence motion against the PTI founder.

“An offer was made that if the no-trust motion is withdrawn, the then-prime minister will resign and announce elections,” the report suggest.

According to Geo News, Bilawal and Fazl had opposed the proposal.

“I was personally against the no-confidence move […] but if I had said no despite the insistence of other parties, then an impression would’ve been given that I ‘saved’ the PTI founder,” claimed Fazl in the interview.

Fazl also said: “While the PPP was running the movement for a no-confidence motion, Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid told me that I could do whatever I wanted, but within the system.”

“But I rejected his directions,” he said but noted that later on, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), MQM-P, and others left the PTI-led government.

“When they said that [the anti-PTI] is now in the majority, I had to agree with them otherwise it would’ve been said that I helped save Imran Khan,” the JUI-F chief, who has rejected February 8 election results, said.