‘Take Off Your Uniform And Fight Elections’: Pakistan MP Maulana Fazlur Rehman Dares Asim Munir

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has come under sharp attack from senior politician and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who challenged him to step down from the military and test his popularity through elections.

Addressing a public gathering in Pakistan’s Punjab on Sunday, Rehman said, “If you want to do politics, then take off your uniform and come. Take part in the election. You will get to know how many votes people in uniform receive.”

He said the army has a clearly defined role and should stay within its constitutional limits instead of influencing politics.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman showing Asim Munir his place. pic.twitter.com/kmQhO7meSw

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‘Army Cannot Decide Who Rules Pakistan’

Rehman accused the military of interfering in Pakistan’s political system and said choosing or removing governments was never the army’s responsibility.

“You have the power to give government to whomever you want and to take governments away from whomever you want. It is not the army’s job to decide who forms the government and who leaves,” he said.

He also claimed that Pakistan was falling apart and questioned the military’s growing control over civilian affairs.

His remarks come as Asim Munir is increasingly seen as Pakistan’s most influential figure, with many believing his influence now extends well beyond military matters and often overshadows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Rehman’s criticism also follows the government’s decision to include Munir in a high-level committee on population issues, a move that has further fuelled debate over the military’s expanding role in governance.

Rejects Calls For Civilians To Take Up Arms

The veteran politician also opposed suggestions that ordinary Pakistanis should form militias to fight terrorism, arguing that protecting the country is the military’s duty.

“They say, ‘Our soldiers are being martyred.’ My friend, your soldiers wear the uniform and receive salaries precisely because they are supposed to fight for the country’s security. Why do you place the burden of their blood on me? They are paid from the taxes collected from my blood and sweat for this very purpose,” he said.

Rejecting calls for civilians to arm themselves, Rehman added, “Yet you tell us to raise militias, take up weapons, and fight armed groups ourselves. I have not taken any salary. I will not raise a militia.”

He warned that such a strategy would only push Pakistan towards long-term violence.

“You will leave, but you are pushing my land into personal vendettas that will last for generations. You are driving it towards perpetual violence and bloodshed.”

‘Government Has Lost Control In Balochistan’

Rehman also painted a grim picture of the security situation in Balochistan, claiming large parts of the province remain outside the government’s control.

“There were insurgencies in Baloch areas of Balochistan. The entire Baloch region had slipped out of Pakistan’s control. Even today, the writ of the Pakistani government does not exist there,” he said.

He further claimed that the unrest, once limited to Baloch-majority areas, has now spread into Pashtun regions as well.

His remarks come amid rising extremist violence in both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding to the growing criticism of Pakistan’s security policies and the military’s expanding influence over the country’s political system.