Will Maulana Fazlur Rehman be the next president of Pakistan?

The JUI-F spokesperson has declared that Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of JUI-F, is destined to become Pakistan’s next president, regardless of whether the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secures a majority in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February next year.

As of September 8 this year, the incumbent President Arif Alvi’s five-year term has concluded. However, Alvi continues as the country’s head of state under Article 44 of the Constitution, allowing the president to remain in office in the absence of the dissolved provincial and national assemblies, which occurred in January and August earlier this year.

The President of Pakistan is elected in a special session of the parliament, senate, and all four provincial assemblies as to Article 41(3) of the constitution. Arif Alvi is the fourth head of state to complete his full term, following Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (1973 to 1978), Asif Ali Zardari (2008 to 2013), and Mamnoon Hussain (2013 to 2018).

In an interview with a local TV channel, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah asserted that if Fazl can lead the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a multiparty alliance, then he is also capable of assuming the presidency.

Taking a veiled swipe at the PPP and PML-N, Hamdullah accused them of “keeping an eye” on Balochistan. He remarked, “Father-son and father-daughter duos keep an eye on Balochistan’s [politics], let’s see what results it bears [in the future].”

Hamdullah criticized the PTI’s agenda and ruled out the possibility of any alliance with Imran Khan’s party. In response to a question, he questioned the prominence of Gohar Khan within the PTI, especially after the recent election of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the new party chairman.

The nomination of Barrister Gohar as party chair sparked controversy within the PTI, with concerns raised by the party’s senior vice President Sher Afzal Marwat. Marwat revealed Gohar’s candidacy, stating that he would be the party’s candidate for chairman after Khan decided not to contest for the top post due to legal challenges, including his five-year disqualification in the Toshakhana case.

Addressing another query, Hamdullah disclosed an electoral alliance with the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Sindh, clarifying that PTI was not part of the alliance.