ISLAMABAD: Explosive revelations from WikiLeaks diplomatic documents regarding meetings of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman with US officials have surfaced, raising serious questions about his political strategy and diplomatic contacts for gaining power.
According to US diplomatic cable No. 131658 released on WikiLeaks, on November 20, 2007, US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson met Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The meeting was also attended by Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Senator Talha Mahmood, Senator Ejaz Swati and Malik Sikandar Khan. According to the documents, Maulana Fazlur Rehman also hosted a dinner in honor of the US Ambassador and staff, through which he wanted to get closer to the Americans
According to the diplomatic cable, Maulana Fazlur Rehman directly asked the US Ambassador whether the US government would be willing to work with him if he becomes Prime Minister of Pakistan. This question has raised questions about the importance of American support in his political strategy.
The documents also revealed that Maulana is desirous of American support to become Prime Minister and wants America to support him as Prime Minister and that he will not disappoint America.
An important comment by US Ambassador Anne Patterson is also recorded in the diplomatic cable related to this meeting. She wrote:
”Fazlur enjoys being courted by both Musharraf and Bhutto and sees himself increasingly in the lucrative position of being kingmaker, if not the next Prime Minister, because of JUI-F’s voter strength in what may be a three-way vote tie. Even if JUI-F’s voter support drops, he has made it clear that, free and fair elections notwithstanding, his still significant number of votes are up for sale.”
The cable also noted that Maulana’s lieutenant Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said “All important parties in Pakistan had to get the approval of the US Government”.
These words were the US Ambassador’s own political assessment; the diplomatic document does not mention any proven financial transaction or specific agreement for sale of votes.
According to the same diplomatic record, Maulana Fazlur Rehman also expressed desire to travel to the US and lobby Congress and American think tanks for his party.
Ambassador noted: “Rehman indicated his desire to travel to the U.S. and suggested he could lobby the Congress and American think tanks ‘as well as Benazir Bhutto.'”
According to another WikiLeaks diplomatic document, on March 28, 2008, Maulana Fazlur Rehman met US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher. In this meeting, he offered to help US officials convey a political contact message to the Taliban. This detail indicates that Maulana was also active in offering his role in diplomatic contacts with US officials.
The cable noted: “Rehman asked if he could ‘send a message’ across to the ‘opposition forces’ in Afghanistan.”
These diplomatic documents bring to light an aspect of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s political strategy in which electoral power, possible Prime Ministership, American support and contacts with US officials were important topics. The US Ambassador calling votes “available for sale” is the most prominent and debatable part of this record.
Read also:Where did NAB investigations against Maulana Fazlur Rehman reach?
