A blatant case of hypocrisy and nepotism has been exposed with documentary evidence, revealing another disturbing side of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has long projected an image of religious simplicity, asceticism and piety. While the Maulana stands on stage preaching religion and delivering sermons, he has allegedly crossed every limit of dishonesty to secure personal benefits and favour his relatives.
According to official audit documents and establishment records, Maulana Fazlur Rehman grossly misused his political influence to have his own brother, Ziaur Rehman, a low-ranking Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) employee, directly appointed as a Grade-19 senior officer by trampling over all Public Service Commission rules and regulations.
The mega scandal has triggered a strong reaction from public and political circles, with critics arguing that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has always used religion as a weapon for his political interests and turned his political party into a regular business and political enterprise to extract personal and family benefits from the State of Pakistan.
According to official monitoring records and audit paragraphs, this blatant violation took place in 2007, during the final days of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) provincial government. The law was openly violated to induct Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother, Ziaur Rehman, who was an ordinary and low-ranking PTCL employee, into the provincial civil service. By pressuring then JUI chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, Maulana Fazlur Rehman allegedly managed to have his brother directly absorbed into the Provincial Management Service (PMS) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a Grade-19 officer.
In its detailed report, audit authorities described the appointment as entirely illegal and a grave violation of merit. Under the law, any citizen seeking to reach a senior and sensitive administrative position such as Grade 19 must pass a highly competitive Public Service Commission examination or complete a lengthy 20-year period of government service and go through the required promotion stages. However, Maulana Fazlur Rehman allegedly showed no regard for any examination or legal requirements when it came to his brother and had him elevated overnight to one of the province’s senior-most official positions, subsequently securing appointments for him as Commissioner for Afghan Refugees and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of a city like Karachi, in order to maintain the family’s control over government resources.
This mega scandal has publicly exposed Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s politics, in which he allegedly uses the children of poor families for religious seminaries and street protests, but when it comes to jobs and privileges, even his brothers, who hold ordinary government or private-sector positions, are allegedly placed in the highest government offices through illegal means. The Audit Bureau flagged this illegal absorption, describing it as a raid on the national exchequer and a serious offence. Following these revelations, public anger against the Maulana’s so-called religious politics and alleged dishonesty has reportedly reached its peak.
