The assassination attempt on Maulana Fazlur Rahman on the eve of his trip to Kabul.
Mir Ahmad Reza, an analyst of Afghan issues.
Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the leader of the religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been the victim of an unfortunate assassination attempt. This act of terrorism can be significant both in terms of location and timing.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, was targeted in an unsuccessful assassination attempt two days ago in the area of ​​Dera Ismail Khan, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This attack could be significant both in terms of location and timing; geographically, the assassination took place in a location considered to be the center of power and the main sphere of influence of this party, which could affect the party’s activities in the upcoming elections in Pakistan. About 5 months ago, there was also a major explosion in the city of “Bajaur,” another city in this province, among the party’s supporters, resulting in the killing and injuring of dozens of people. This fragile security situation led Maulana Fazlur Rehman to describe the holding of elections in such a situation in the two states of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the latter being the main power base of his party, as impossible.
But in terms of timing, this event can be considered important in two ways;
First, this assassination is taking place on the eve of parliamentary elections, at a time when Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, are in a very good political position. They, after actively participating in the “Pakistan Democratic Movement” and contributing to the fall of Imran Khan, have now partnered with the Muslim League Nawaz for the upcoming elections, the same party that is already considered by many political analysts to win the parliamentary elections. The party of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, in the shadow of its very close relationship with the Pakistan Army, and with the assurance that the army favors Nawaz Sharif and his party in the recent elections, has entered into such a successful coalition. In these circumstances, the occurrence of such events will have undesirable effects on the planning and calculations of the election of the party of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and its allies, which includes the Muslim League and the army.