Last Updated on November 11, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN REPORT
PESHAWAR (Nov 11): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has levelled serious corruption allegations against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his family, asserting that President Asif Ali Zardari’s friendship and longstanding political ties with the veteran politician will not shield anyone from accountability.
Speaking to a delegation of Islamabad-based journalists and analysts at the Governor House in Peshawar on Tuesday, Kundi maintained that personal friendships do not override the rule of law. “Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman have their own friendship, but that does not mean President Zardari will rescue anyone in a corruption case,” the governor said. “With corruption scandals coming to light, will Asif Ali Zardari bail them out by declaring that whatever they did was right?”
Turning his criticism toward the JUI-F leadership, Kundi accused them of hypocrisy on issues of governance and land encroachment. “These very clerics preach justice to others and advise against illegal occupation, yet they themselves sit on encroached properties,” he remarked, adding a pointed colloquial jab: “They eat the halwa themselves while forbidding others from eating halwa and committing theft.”
The governor questioned whether political affiliation or family lineage grants immunity from financial misconduct. “Does being in the JUI, or being Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s son or brother, make corruption permissible for someone?” he asked. He insisted that if graft allegations against Fazl’s family are proven, they must face the legal consequences, specifically calling for scrutiny into alleged irregularities involving Fazl’s son in the National Highway Authority (NHA).
Recalling the tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government, Kundi claimed that the JUI-F was its primary beneficiary. According to the governor, the party was handed key portfolios of its own choosing, including Religious Affairs, Housing, and Communications, which oversees the NHA.
“In my view, there was hardly any major ministry left that was not given to Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s party,” he noted.
Despite his sharp criticism, Kundi called for due process and cautioned against premature judgment. He stated that while proven charges must result in formal cases and convictions, individuals should not be subjected to a “media trial” if the allegations fail to hold up under scrutiny.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
