Maulana Fazlur Rehman

Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a Pakistani politician and religious scholar who has led the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) since 2002, making him one of the most powerful political figures in the country. Born on 19 June 1953 in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he is the son of Mufti Mahmud, a former chief minister of the province.

Political career

Fazlur Rehman has been a member of the National Assembly for most of his career, representing his ancestral constituency. He led the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the alliance of religious parties that governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2002 to 2008, and has since been a kingmaker in national coalitions, supporting both the PPP and PML-N governments at different times. He has also served as chairman of the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee.

In 2019 he led the Azadi March to Islamabad demanding the resignation of Imran Khan's government. He later became a leading figure in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the opposition alliance that helped bring down the PTI government in 2022. His party has also been deeply involved in Afghan politics and the country's Islamic seminaries.

Legacy

Maulana Fazlur Rehman is widely regarded as the most influential religious politician in Pakistan, commanding a network of seminaries and a devoted constituency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab. His pragmatic coalition politics have kept him at the centre of national power for two decades.