Over the past few days, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) have issued notices to Maulana Fazlur Rehman's son, former federal minister Asad Mahmood, and some of his close associates in connection with various matters.
These developments come at a time when Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been openly criticising the federal government's policies, governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the imposition of emergency and actions against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Federal ministers, meanwhile, have also been using harsh language against him.
An opposition meeting was also held at Maulana Fazlur Rehman's residence in Islamabad on Wednesday, attended by leaders of PTI, the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. The participants discussed a joint political strategy against emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the possibility of holding an All Parties Conference.
The current situation has raised questions about whether political differences between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the government are now turning into institutional and legal confrontation, or whether investigations involving his family and close associates are separate administrative and legal matters.
FIA, CDA and NAB Notices
Maulana Fazlur Rehman's son, Asad Mahmood, has been summoned by NAB in connection with alleged illegal recruitment at Pakistan Post.
According to a notice issued by NAB Rawalpindi, Asad Mahmood has been directed to appear before the investigation team at 11am on November 10.
Asad Mahmood served as federal minister for communications during the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government in 2022 and 2023. Pakistan Post falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications.
According to NAB, the Establishment Division had authorised recruitment against 3,938 posts at Pakistan Post, but allegedly 4,252 people were given jobs.
The investigating agency is examining whether 2,646 of these individuals were recruited against posts that had already been abolished.
NAB said recruitment through a testing agency on a contractual basis had been recommended. However, a large number of permanent appointments were allegedly made instead, potentially placing an additional financial burden on Pakistan Post.
The investigation also includes allegations concerning the political affiliations of some candidates, fake documents, appointments of candidates exceeding the prescribed age limit and violations of domicile quotas.
NAB has directed Asad Mahmood to appear before the investigation team and present his position on the relevant matters. The notice also warns that failure to comply could lead to legal proceedings under the National Accountability Ordinance.
Meanwhile, the FIA's Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad had also summoned Asad Mahmood in connection with the same recruitment matter. The agency issued a notice directing him to appear on November 2 to record his statement.
The Pakistan Post recruitment case is therefore currently being investigated by both NAB and the FIA.
However, the allegations against Asad Mahmood have not been proven at this stage, and a summons alone cannot be considered conclusive evidence of involvement in any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, reports have also emerged of action by government agencies involving Amanullah, a close associate of Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
According to reports, the FIA and CDA have issued separate notices to Amanullah in connection with different matters.
There are also reports that the CDA issued a notice on October 30 to the owner of the house in Islamabad's Sector G-4/6 where Maulana Fazlur Rehman resides.
The CDA notice raises objections to rooms built for security guards, alleged unauthorised construction in designated open areas of the building and the installation of a generator on government land.
According to the notice, the property owner had submitted an affidavit in 2019 while obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC), undertaking to rectify the construction violations within three months.
The CDA has directed the owner to remove the alleged violations within 15 days. Otherwise, it has warned of possible action under relevant laws, including demolition of the construction, sealing of the building or further proceedings.
It is important to clarify that the CDA notice was issued directly to the legal owner of the property, not to Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
JUI spokesperson Aslam Ghauri, meanwhile, claimed that similar constructions existed outside other houses on the same street.
Asad Mahmood was contacted for his position on the matter, but he could not be reached.
However, senior JUI-F leader and former federal minister Maulana Abdul Wasay told BBC that his party and its leaders were not intimidated by such government tactics and had the ability to confront them.
He said party leaders were criticising the federal government's actions in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, adding that JUI had its own position on the way minerals were being extracted.
He said JUI was neither the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) nor Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), but a party with a 100-year history, and that its leaders were not afraid of notices from NAB, FIA or CDA.
According to a BBC Urdu report published on November 2, a CDA spokesperson said notices were being issued wherever building regulations were being violated in Islamabad.
The spokesperson said the CDA did not target individuals but issued notices whenever laws were violated.
The government maintains that notices concerning encroachments have nothing to do with Maulana Fazlur Rehman's political activities.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told Geo News in an interview that anti-encroachment operations had previously been carried out in streets surrounding Maulana Fazlur Rehman's residence. Cabins and generators had been removed, fines imposed and buildings sealed.
He said it was therefore incorrect to suggest that the action had begun only after the current political differences emerged.
Governor's Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Main Cause of Differences
The most important background to the current political tensions is the imposition of governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11.
The federal government imposed governor's rule under Article 234 of the Constitution, citing concerns about law and order in the province and the provincial government's role in counterterrorism efforts.
Following the move, the powers of the elected provincial government were suspended and administrative affairs began shifting under the governor's supervision.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman opposed the decision, describing it as contrary to constitutional and democratic principles.
Addressing the National Assembly on October 29, he said the constitutional system and parliamentary supremacy were being undermined, while political differences were being turned into confrontation.
He objected to the imposition of governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that the government was using the Constitution for political purposes.
Maulana also claimed that he had played a role in reducing political tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and facilitating negotiations between the federal and provincial governments, but governor's rule was imposed despite his efforts.
Following his speech, federal ministers launched strong criticism of him.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif questioned Maulana Fazlur Rehman's political role and his past relationships with different governments.
Khawaja Asif alleged that Maulana's attitude changed when he secured a share in government, but that he began opposing the government when he was outside it.
He also accused Maulana of using religion for political and financial interests.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also used harsh language about Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the Senate, saying that following Maulana's recent statement, he no longer had the same level of respect for him as before.
Mohsin Naqvi also claimed that some JUI leaders had themselves sought governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the past.
JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza objected to the statements made by government ministers, saying Parliament should not be used for anyone's personal agenda or political attacks.
JUI leaders described the ministers' statements as an attempt at political character assassination and staged a protest.
BBC contacted senior JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah in this regard. He was asked why relations between the government and Maulana Fazlur Rehman had deteriorated so sharply, given that the situation had appeared normal only a few months earlier and federal ministers had been visiting Maulana's residence to discuss constitutional amendments.
He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman had rejected the 2018 elections and protested against them, and had similarly protested against the 2024 elections.
He said Maulana had consistently criticised government policies both inside and outside Parliament, but had opposed the manner in which governor's rule was imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said Maulana had first announced his opposition at a press conference and later reiterated it in Parliament, arguing that governor's rule had not been imposed because of terrorism but to gain control over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's mineral resources.
According to him, the government did not like this statement, after which the situation escalated to the point where notices began to be issued.
Growing Contacts Between PTI and JUI
An important political aspect of the recent tensions is the growing contact between PTI and JUI, which had previously been strong opponents of each other.
Around October 31, leaders of PTI and the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan met Maulana Fazlur Rehman, expressing support for his parliamentary speech and describing the statements made by government ministers as political character assassination.
Following this, an important meeting of opposition parties was held at Maulana Fazlur Rehman's residence in Islamabad on November 4.
The meeting was attended by opposition leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Aamir Dogar and other political figures.
According to a post on X by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan's official account, the participants discussed governor's rule and the emergency situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking to the media, Mahmood Khan Achakzai said: "We have come to condemn the way Maulana Fazlur Rehman is being subjected to character assassination."
Can JUI and PTI Launch a Joint Movement?
Although contacts between opposition parties have increased, it would be premature to describe these developments as the beginning of a full-fledged political alliance or joint movement.
PTI and JUI have had differences over several issues in the past, including the 2018 general elections, government formation, religious policies and political matters.
Nevertheless, the two parties have found some common ground on issues such as governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provincial autonomy, political arrests and the role of Parliament.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai's Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan is also attempting to bring different opposition parties onto a common platform.
If these contacts develop into a formal political alliance or an All Parties Conference, Maulana Fazlur Rehman's role could become significant because of his distinct organisational influence among religious and political circles.
However, it remains to be seen whether JUI and PTI can set aside their past differences and develop a long-term joint political strategy, or whether their cooperation will remain limited to specific issues such as governor's rule and the current political situation.
Why Have Relations Between the Government and JUI Deteriorated?
The question remains why federal government leaders, who were seeking Maulana Fazlur Rehman's support on constitutional amendments only a few months ago, are now facing a situation in which investigative agencies are issuing notices involving him and his associates.
According to senior journalist and analyst Lihaz Ali, the roots of the current tensions between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the government go back much further than recent statements, extending to the 2024 general elections.
He said JUI had not accepted the election results and had consistently maintained that electoral rigging had affected its mandate.
However, some analysts believe the current tensions cannot be viewed solely through the lens of electoral disputes.
Shams Mehmood and Ali Akbar are also senior journalists and analysts.
Both believe that Maulana Fazlur Rehman generally adopts political positions after careful consideration and that his recent criticism of the government appears to be part of a deliberate political decision.
According to Shams Mehmood, Maulana Fazlur Rehman's recent statements have raised questions because no statement has yet emerged from the central leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party or Pakistan Muslim League suggesting that the two major parties are against him.
He said that if the differences are genuine and the government has decided to take action against Maulana Fazlur Rehman, then nothing would be impossible for the government.
He added that just as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had been pushed against the wall, a similar course of action could be adopted against JUI.
Ali Akbar said it was surprising that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had decided to oppose the government.
He said Maulana was a far-sighted politician who understood which political narrative was currently in demand among the public and had adopted that narrative.
He said the question was whether Maulana Fazlur Rehman was alone in promoting this narrative or whether he also had support from somewhere else.
Analysts say the nature of relations between the government, JUI and other opposition parties in the coming weeks will determine whether the current tensions are merely temporary political differences or the beginning of a new political realignment in Pakistan.
Lihaz Ali said an anti-government narrative was considered popular among the public, with PTI's politics providing a clear example.
He said that after the government's treatment of PTI, a political vacuum had emerged in the country. Since the PPP and PML-N were perceived as supporters of the establishment, Maulana Fazlur Rehman appeared to be trying to fill that vacuum.
Senior journalist Shams Mehmood said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appeared to have been divided into two parts, with governor's rule in one part and emergency in the other.
He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman's political image had begun to take a particular shape in recent days, and his party might benefit from it in the next elections.
