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Early life
Political career
2007 dinner with US Ambassador
Reception
Opposition to PTI
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Azadi March
Pakistan Democratic Movement
Attack on Convoy in Kpk
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Recent Terrorist attack
Bibliography
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Books by him
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Fazal-ur-Rehman (politician)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people with similar names, see Fazal ur Rahman (disambiguation).
Fazal-ur-Rehman
‫فضل الرحمان‬

Leader of the Opposition

In office
25 March 2004 – 15 November 2007
President Pervez Musharraf
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz
Preceded by Benazir Bhutto
Succeeded by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
President of Pakistan Democratic Movement
In office
20 September 2020 – September 2023
President of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 March 2018
President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)
Incumbent
Assumed office
1980
Preceded by Mufti Mahmud
Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir
In office
August 2013 – 31 May 2018
In office
16 September 2008 – 24 March 2013
President Asif Ali Zardari
Mamnoon Hussain
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Nawaz Sharif
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
In office
2008–2013
Chairman of Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
In office
1993–1996
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
1 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
In office
18 November 2002 – 18 November 2007
Constituency NA-24 (D.I. Khan)
In office
17 March 2008 – 31 May 2013
Constituency NA-26 (Bannu)
In office
16 October 1993 – 5 November 1996
In office
2 December 1988 – 6 August 1990
Constituency D.I. Khan
Personal details
Born 19 June 1953 (age 70)
Abdul Khel, NWFP, Pakistan
Nationality Pakistani
Political party Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam
Other political
affiliations Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) (2002–2008)
Children Asad Mehmood[1]
Parent
Mufti Mahmud (father)
Relatives Maulana Lutf ur Rehman (brother)
Atta-ur-Rehman (brother)
Nickname Qaid e Jamiat
Fazal-ur-Rehman (Urdu: ‫ ;موالنا فضل الرحمان‬born 19 June 1953) is a Pakistani politician
who is the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F).[2] He is also the president of
the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition of political parties which
ousted then prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He
was a member of the National Assembly between 1988 and 2018, and the Leader of the
Opposition from 2004 to 2007. He is a supporter of the Taliban government in
Afghanistan and has demanded for its international recognition.[3] In the 1980s, he
was part of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), which was formed
to end the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq.[4]

Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman is famously known as "Siyasat ka Sultan" in the Pakistan's

political landscape.[5]
Rehman is a pro-Taliban politician, known for his close ties to the Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan.[6][7][8] He has attempted to re-brand himself as a moderate without
connections to religious extremists and hardliners.[6] In the past, he has called
for imposition of Sharia in Pakistan. Being a follower of Mahmud Hasan Deobandi who
campaigned for liberation against the British Raj but later restricted his members
from armed struggle after establishing Political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Rehman
opposed armed struggle to impose shariah laws as it leads to extremism in society.
[9] When in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2004 to 2007, his party passed the
'Hasba Bill' which was later declared illegal and unconstitutional.[10][11] Through
this bill, he believed that he would be following in his father Mufti Mahmud's
footsteps, as he tried to implement 'Nizam-e-Mustafa', which his father struggled
for throughout his political life. However, it was declared unconstitutional by
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry.[12]

After defeat in the 2018 Pakistani general election, Rehman was ejected from the
National Assembly and failed to win major political support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
bagging only 10 of the 99 seats in his home turf. Alleging election fraud, 11
opposition political parties formed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) [13]
appointing Rehman as the president of this movement.[14]

In November 2023, it was reported by spokesman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) that he

is on a tour to help the people of Gaza Strip amid 2023 Israel–Hamas war. It was
also reported that he met Ismail Haniyeh the leader of Hamas

Early life
Rehman was born on 19 June 1953[15] (1 September according to another report) to a
Marwat Pashtun family,[16] in the village of Abul Kheel in Dera Ismail Khan.[17]
[18] His father, Mufti Mahmud, was an Islamic scholar of the Deobandi branch and a
politician who served as the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 1972 to
1973.[7]

His early education was from Millat High School, Multan and was a student of
Mussarat Baig and Syed Iqbal Shah.[citation needed] He attained a Bachelor's degree
(B.A) in 1983 from University of Peshawar and completed his master's degree at Al-
Azhar University Cairo.[19] During his early religious training and education (Ilm
Us Saraf, Ilm Un Nahv, Logic) he remained the disciple of Mufti Muhammad Essa
Gurmani and Molana Abdul Ghaffor Gurmani of Shadan Lund before studying Sharah-e-
Mata-e-Aamil and Hidayat-un-Nahv with Muhammad Ameer of Chudwan in a Madrassa at
Jhok wains Multan .[20] He was a student of Abdul Haq Akorwi, Hasan Jan, and Syed
Sher Ali Shah during his Shahadat-ul Alamia at Darul Uloom Haqqania.[21]

Political career
Rehman began his political career as the secretary general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
in 1980 at the age of 27. This was after the death of his father Mufti Mahmud who
was the leader of the party before his death.[7][22]

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam later split into two factions in the mid-1980s with the Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam (F) led by Fazal.[7][22][6] Rehman was elected as the member of the
National Assembly of Pakistan in 1988 Pakistani general elections for the first
time on from D.I. Khan seat.[22][7] He then made connections with Afghan Taliban.
[22] Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1990 Pakistani
general elections for the second time on from D.I. Khan seat but did not win the
election.[22] Rehman was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
in 1993 Pakistani general elections for the second time on Islamic Jamhoori Mahaz
ticket from D.I. Khan seat.[22] Fazal was appointed as the chairman of the Standing
Committee for Foreign Affairs in National Assembly of Pakistan.[7][22] Rehman ran
for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1997 Pakistani general
elections for the fourth time but did not win the election.[22]

Rehman led several anti-American protests and pro-Taliban rallies in the major
cities of Pakistan following the war in Afghanistan in 2001. He criticised
President of United States George W. Bush, and threatened to launch jihad against
the United States if the bombings continued. He also criticised and warned
President of the Pakistan Pervez Musharraf that he would be overthrown if he
continued to support the “War on Terror”.[22][7] In October 2001, Pervez Musharraf
placed Fazal under house arrest in his native village Abdul Khel[23] for inciting
the citizens of Pakistan against the armed forces of Pakistan and for trying to
overthrow the government of Pakistan. Later in March 2002, Fazal was set free and
the cases against him were withdrawn.[7][22]

Rehman was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2002
Pakistani general elections for the third time on Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ticket.
[22] He won on two seats, NA-24 and NA-25, the later was vacated. Upon winning the
election, Fazal became a potential candidate for the post of prime minister of
Pakistan but was not appointed.[22][7] He served as the leader of the opposition
from 2004 to 2007.[24]

Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2008 Pakistani
general elections for the sixth time on Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ticket from two
constituencies, NA-24, D.I. Khan which is his traditional constituency and NA-26,
Bannu[25] In September 2008, he was elected chairman of the Kashmir committee of
the National Assembly of Pakistan.[26] Rehman was elected as the member of the
National Assembly of Pakistan for the fourth time on Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ticket
from Bannu constituency,[22] but he lost the election in D.I. Khan constituency.
[22] By 2008, Fazal distanced himself from Taliban and called himself a moderate.
[22]

In May 2014, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave him the status of a federal minister
for being the chairman of special committee of the National Assembly on Kashmir.
[27] In August 2017, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gave him the same status
again.[27] Upon the dissolution of the National Assembly on the expiration of its
term on 31 May 2018, he ceased to hold the status of a federal minister.[28] In
March 2018, he became head of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal[29] which was revived in
December 2017.[30] Rehman ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan in
2018 Pakistani general elections from Dera Ismail Khan's constituencies, NA38 and
NA 39 but did not win.[31]

On 27 August 2018, several opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League (N),
nominated him as a candidate in the 2018 presidential election.[32] On 4 September
2018, he clinched 184 electoral votes behind Arif Alvi (352) and ahead of Aitzaz
Ahsan (124) in the election.[33]

2007 dinner with US Ambassador

According to leaked diplomatic cables, in 2007 Rehman invited then US Ambassador to
Pakistan, Anne Patterson, to a dinner in which he sought her support in becoming
Prime Minister of Pakistan and expressed a desire to visit America. The ambassador
wrote in her notes that Fazl sees himself as a Kingmaker. Fazl also reportedly told
the ambassador that his votes were up for sale.[34] [8]

Reception
Rehman opposed the Huqooq-e-Niswan bill in 2016 claiming that it was un-Islamic.
[35] Rehman also rejected the Women's Protection Bill in 2016, which protects
domestic violence victims, claiming that the judicial execution of Mumtaz Qadri was
wrong and declared that he was a martyr, rallying other right-wing religious
parties to do the same.[36]
Opposition to PTI
On numerous occasions, Rehman has displayed severe opposition to Imran Khan and his
political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). In 2013 Rehman declared
voting for the PTI as haram (religiously prohibited), asserting Khan to be
supported by the West and the Jewish lobby and explicitly calling him an agent of
"Americans, Jews, Ahmadis and a person of ill character".[37][38]

Former JUI-F leader Muhammad Khan Sherani took to Twitter and said that when he
asked Fazl ur-Rehman does he have proof that Imran Khan is a Jewish and Indian
agent, Fazal responded with "it's just a political statement".[39]

Azadi March
Main article: 2019 Azadi March
In late 2019 Rehman led a march towards Islamabad with the intent to sit-in, until
PM Imran Khan resigned from office.[40] rs[41][citation needed] The Azadi March
which translates as "Freedom March" started from Sukkur on October 27, 2019, and
travelled Sindh and Punjab;[citation needed] other political parties also joined
the march which reached Islamabad on October 31, 2019. Rehman also addressed the
participants at different points on the journey. However, he could not reach his
aims and ended the march on 16 November 2019.[42]

Pakistan Democratic Movement

Main article: Pakistan Democratic Movement
In 2020, Rehman was unanimously elected as the leader of the coalition of political
parties against the PTI government, the Pakistan Democratic Movement. Nawaz Sharif
even favoured this appointment to be on a permanent basis but was opposed by
others.[43]

Attack on Convoy in Kpk

Mufti Abrar (the party's spokesperson) verified, that On 31 December 2023 The
politician's convoy was fired upon from multiple sides at Yarik interchange in kpk
(province of Pakistan) in Dera ismail khan.[44][45][46] While passing through DI
Khan, the JUI-F chief's convoy was ambushed close to the toll plaza, In response to
a question about his safety he gave assurance that the veteran was in safe hands.
President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif, responded to
the incident by denouncing the attack on Fazl's convoy and expressing relief over
the politician's safety.[47]

On December 5 during a press appearance in Islamabad, the politician while giving

comments pondered:-

"There is no police in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat. Can the polls be
staged in this situation of unrest?".[48]

Condemning the attack on the JUI-F chief, party leader Hafiz Hamdullah termed the
incident as a nefarious move to prevent the party from taking part in the electoral
process.[49]Taking note of the reports, the interior secretary has requested a
report on the event. “Miscreants will not be allowed to spread chaos and sow
discord in the country,” said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior.[50]

Recent Terrorist attack

Main article: 2023 Khar bombing
Meanwhile, around 63 JUI-F workers in July were killed in a suicide attack that was
directed towards the party's workers' conference in Khar, Bajaur.[51]

Bibliography
Books by him
Navīd-i inqilāb : Maulānā Faz̤ lurraḥmān ke inṭarviyūz kā majmūʻah, 1987, 117 p.
Collection of interviews on the political conditions in Pakistan. Edited by
ʻAbdulvadūd Shāhid.
Insānī ḥuqūq, 2000, 136 p. On human rights as interpreted in Islam, with particular
reference to the role of NGO's in Pakistan. Edited by Raḥīm Ḥaqqanī.
Z̤ arb-i darvesh, 2000, 446 p. Interviews on his anti-US movement; includes newspaper
editorials and columns praising the movement. Edited by Riyāz̤ Durrānī.
K̲ h̲ ut̤ bāt-i Qāʼid-i Jamʻīyat, 2002, 2 volumes. Collection of speeches in defense of
radical Islamic movements in different countries and against alleged American
designs to rule the world. Edited by Momin K̲ h̲ ān ʻUs̲ mānī.
Mushāfihāt, 2017, 3 volumes. Collected interviews. Edited by Amīrzādah K̲ h̲ ān
Yūsufzaʼī.
Books about him
ʻAbdulqayyūm Shaik̲ h̲ , Maulānā Faz̤ lurraḥmān ka siyāsī safar, 2004, 514 p. On his
political struggle.
Momin K̲ h̲ ān ʻUs̲ mānī, Maulānā Faẓlurraḥmān : shak̲ h̲ ṣiyyat o kirdār, 2017, 808 p.
Biography.
Maulānā Muḥammad Qāsim Ḥaqqānī, Mīr-i kārvān̲ Maulānā Faẓlurraḥmán : duniyāʼe
ṣaḥāfat kī naz̤ ar men̲ , 2017, 188 p. Collection of news articles on the politics of
Faz̤ lurraḥmān, published in various newspapers.
See more
List of Deobandis
References
Hussain, Javed (7 August 2018). "MMA announces name of Fazl's son as nominee for
NA deputy speaker post". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
"Anyone killed by US is a 'martyr': Fazlur Rehman". The Express Tribune. 5
November 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
"Pakistan's Islamic parties push for Taliban recognition in Afghanistan". Deutsche
Welle. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
"Maulana's style of politics". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
"How 'Diesel' became speed-breaker for Imran Khan in Pakistan". India Today.
Retrieved 2 January 2024.
"PARTY PROFILES: The party's on -DAWN – Herald Election 2008;". Dawn. 7 September
2008. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
"Profile: Maulana Fazlur Rahman". BBC. 6 November 2002. Archived from the original
on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
Walsh, Declan (30 November 2010). "Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari 'Prepared
for Assassination' – WikiLeaks Cables Profiling Husband of Late Benazir Bhutto Say
He Has Named His Successor Should He Also Be Killed". The Guardian. London.
Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
"Armed struggle for Shariah enforcement un-Islamic: Fazl". www.thenews.com.pk.
Retrieved 13 January 2021.
Hussain, Shahid (2005). "State's ruling alliance passes Hasba Bill". Gulf News.
"Text of Hasba bill". DAWN.COM. 16 July 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
"Supreme Court Blocks Hasba Bill". All Things Pakistan. 15 December 2006.
Retrieved 13 January 2021.
"Politics of alliances and PDM". The Express Tribune. 8 December 2020. Retrieved
13 January 2021.
"Maulana Fazl unanimously appointed PDM chief". The Express Tribune. 3 October
2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
"If elections are held on time…". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original
on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
Ehtasham Khan (18 July 2003). "Why did the Pak Maulana visit Deoband?". Rediff.
Retrieved 2 November 2019.
Guidère, Mathieu (2012). Historical Dictionary of Islamic Fundamentalism.
Scarecrow Press. p. 365. ISBN 9780810879652. Archived from the original on 31
January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
"Detail Information". 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011.
Retrieved 9 July 2017.
"(in urdu)‫"فضل الرحٰم ن‬. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019.
‫ حاالت و واقعات‬:‫موالنا فضل الرحمان کی زندگی‬, Lutfullah Hanfi, Peshawar: Maktaba Umar Farooq.
 ‫ حاالت و واقعات‬:‫موالنا فضل الرحمان کی زندگی‬, Lutfullah Hanfi, Peshawar: Maktaba Umar Farooq
"Maulana Fazlur Rehman". DAWN.COM. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16
January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
"Maulana Fazl, Samiul Haq under house arrest". DAWN.COM. 8 October 2001. Archived
from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
Trivedi, Dinesh (3 June 2007). "India, Pak MPs clash over draft declaration on
Kashmir". Outlook India. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 3
July 2012.
"32 titanic clashes on the cards". DAWN.COM. 18 February 2008. Archived from the
original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
"Fazl elected chairman of NA's Kashmir committee". DAWN.COM. 17 September 2008.
Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (27 August 2017). "Status of federal minister
conferred on Fazl". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017.
Retrieved 31 August 2017.
"Notification" (PDF). Cabinet division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June
2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
Ghori, Habib Khan (21 March 2018). "Maulana Fazl to head recently revived MMA".
DAWN.COM. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
Ghori, Habib Khan (14 December 2017). "Five religious parties join forces to
revive MMA". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
"No country for old faces: Pakistan votes out established politicians".
Tribune.com.pk. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
"Opposition, sans PPP nominate Fazl as presidential candidate". The News. 27
August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
Chaudhry, Fahad (5 September 2018). "PTI's Arif Alvi officially declared winner of
13th presidential election". Dawn.
"WikiLeaks: Fazlur Rehman's votes were 'up for sale'". June 2011.
"Women protection bill will destroy home affairs, says Fazlur Rehman - Pakistan -
Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
Ali, Kalbe (6 March 2016). "Religious parties reject women protection bill".
DAWN.COM. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
"Political 'fatwa': Voting for PTI is haram, says Maulana Fazl". The Express
Tribune. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
"A PTI vote is a haram vote: JUI-F". Pakistan Today. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 2
November 2019.
"Sherani criticises Fazl's 'fatwa' against Imran". 25 August 2022.
"JUI-F's Azadi March to enter Islamabad via Faizabad Interchange | Samaa Digital".
Samaa TV. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
"How many people are participating in Fazlur Rehman's Azadi March?". The News. 2
November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
"Fazlur Rehman ended march after understanding with govt, claims Pervaiz Elahi".
www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
"Maulana Fazlur Rehman unanimously appointed as head of Pakistan's new anti-govt
alliance PDM - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 6
November 2020.
"Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman's convoy attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa". Khaama Press. 1
January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
"Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Report". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
"Fazl's convoy 'comes under attack' in Dera Ismail Khan". The Express Tribune. 31
December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
"Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Report". NDTV.com. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. Reacting to the
incident, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif also
condemned the attack on Fazl's convoy and expressed relief over the politico's
safety.
"Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Report". NDTV.com. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. "There is no police
in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat. Can the polls be staged in this
situation of unrest?" The senior politician wondered while addressing a press
conference in Islamabad on December 5.
"Pak Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Convoy Attacked In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Report". NDTV.com. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. Condemning the
attack on the JUI-F chief, party leader Hafiz Hamdullah termed the incident as a
nefarious move to prevent the party from taking part in the electoral process.
"Fazl's convoy 'comes under attack' in Dera Ismail Khan". The Express Tribune. 31
December 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024. "Miscreants will not be allowed to spread
chaos and sow discord in the country," said the spokesperson of the Ministry of
Interior.
"Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 63". Aljazeera. 2 August 2023.
National Assembly of Pakistan
Preceded by
Benazir Bhutto
Leader of the Opposition
2004–2007 Succeeded by
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
vte
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)
vte
Leaders of the opposition of Pakistan
vte
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
Categories: 1953 birthsLiving peopleLeaders of the Opposition (Pakistan)Pashtun
peopleDeobandisJamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) politiciansPeople from Dera Ismail Khan
DistrictPakistani MNAs 2013–2018Pakistani IslamistsPakistani MNAs 1988–
1990Pakistani MNAs 1993–1996Pakistani MNAs 2002–2007Pakistani MNAs 2008–
2013Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal MNAsAl-Azhar University alumniDarul Uloom Haqqania
alumni
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