Islamabad, November 15,2026: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday held a telephone conversation with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and condemned what he described as government actions and political victimisation targeting the opposition leader.
According to a statement issued by the PPP, the two leaders exchanged views on the country’s prevailing political situation amid growing tensions between the JUI-F chief and the federal government.
Bilawal said the government should tolerate criticism from the opposition, emphasising that opposition parties played an extremely important role in democracy and the parliamentary system.
He urged the government to refrain from actions that could weaken democracy and Parliament.
The conversation comes amid a month-long exchange of sharp statements between Fazlur Rehman and federal ministers. The JUI-F chief has accused the federal government of depriving provinces of their constitutional rights, while his party has repeatedly criticised what it calls propaganda and a campaign targeting its leadership.
Bilawal has recently been advocating political reconciliation and urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to build confidence among coalition partners and opposition parties.
On November 10, he called for a political reset, saying political parties needed to work together rather than remain engaged in confrontation. He had also urged the federal government to engage all political and social stakeholders, including Fazlur Rehman.
Tensions escalated after Fazl joined the opposition in criticising the federal government’s decision to impose governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is governed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
He also accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments despite his efforts to mediate between the federal and provincial governments.
The federal government, meanwhile, has repeatedly cited what it describes as the KP government’s deliberate disengagement from counterterrorism efforts as a reason for its decision. The PPP’s governor is now heading the provincial administration.
The dispute intensified after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on October 16, claimed that a political party chief was upset over being denied a role in the new provincial setup and not receiving the governorship.
The following day, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry criticised Fazlur Rehman, who later clarified that his remarks were directed at government policies rather than state institutions.
The exchange also spilled over into Parliament, where Fazl questioned Khawaja Asif’s absence and Naqvi’s participation in a meeting of Makkah Pact countries and Iran in Tehran.
Responding the following day, Naqvi defended his participation and accused the JUI-F of repeatedly crossing the line and extracting wealth from the state.
The JUI-F has rejected what it describes as baseless propaganda and accused the federal government of resorting to political tactics against the party. It has also raised objections to actions being taken under the anti-encroachment drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Separately, the Capital Development Authority’s Directorate of Building Control (City) issued a notice late last month directing the removal of a security guards’ room outside Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad’s G-6 sector within 15 days.
His son, Asad Mehmood, described the notice as retaliatory and expressed concern over what he called the transformation of political differences into personal revenge.
Earlier this month, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned Asad Mehmood, a former federal communications minister, over alleged irregularities in 4,252 appointments at Pakistan Post during his 2022-23 tenure. He reportedly did not appear before the investigation team despite two summons notices.
The JUI-F had also staged protests in parts of Sindh and Balochistan on November 6 against what it termed a coordinated character assassination campaign targeting its chief.
