Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam — Fazl

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam — Fazl (JUI-F), a conservative religious party in Pakistan, has been adept at forming political and electoral alliances with a range of parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Peoples Party, and Awami National Party. This adaptability underscores its pragmatic approach to coalition-building.

Originally emerging from within the ranks of the JUI, which itself traces its origins to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUH) formed in 1919 with anti-colonial objectives, the JUI-F diverged due to its support for the creation of Pakistan. Founded in its current form in the 1960s under the leadership of Mufti Mahmud, the party was rejuvenated as a counterforce to Ayub Khan’s regime.

Upon Mahmud’s tenure, his son, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, took the helm in 1980 and has since remained at the forefront. Rahman steered the party into the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) in response to Ziaul Haq’s reneging on a promised general election.

The JUI-F predominantly recruits from Deobandi mosques and madrassahs, shaping its leadership with theologians from this background. Its membership largely comprises individuals trained in religious institutions.

Since the 1980s, the JUI-F has navigated between ideological pursuits and pragmatic politics. Advocating for the enforcement of Sharia law, it aligned with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in the 2002 general election.

In previous elections, the JUI-F secured varying numbers of seats. Notably, it won seven seats in the National Assembly in 1988, four in 1993 under the Islami Jamhoori Mahaz (IJM) coalition, and 41 in the 2002 elections. As part of the MMA in 2008, it clinched a total of 47 seats. Subsequent elections saw fluctuations, with 15 seats in 2013 and 12 seats in 2018 under the MMA banner.

In earlier elections, the party advocated for keeping women away from polling stations. However, in a significant shift, it campaigned for female enfranchisement in the 2018 general elections.