PESHAWAR (Kashmir English): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and members of his family have set an example of converting political influence into personal wealth.
The JUI-F chief is an expert at securing privileges from both the opposition and the government; he now faces serious allegations that he leveraged his political clout to build an empire worth billions of rupees for his family and close associates.
According to official documents and local reports, his family has played a significant role in various development projects and the allotment of state-owned land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—particularly in Dera Ismail Khan.
They allegedly reaped profits amounting to tens of millions of rupees by purchasing land at low prices and subsequently selling it—through the use of their influence—at exorbitant rates for government projects.
Furthermore, agricultural lands were transferred via benami (proxy) arrangements into the names of their employees and front men.
Reports from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) indicate that unusual transactions involving tens and hundreds of millions of rupees were observed in the accounts of Fazl-ur-Rehman’s close associates and front men. It is suspected that these funds were later utilized to acquire real assets in Dubai and other foreign jurisdictions.
A defining hallmark of his political career has been the consistent securing of federal ministries, bulletproof vehicles, official residences, and a myriad of VIP perks—for himself, his brothers, or his son—under every successive government.
Questions arises on where did a religious leader—who has never owned any business or industry came to possess these multi-billion rupee mansions, security protocols, and convoys of vehicles.
