Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)

Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), is a Sunni Deobandi political party in Pakistan. Established as JUI in 1945, it is the result of a factional split of 1988, F standing for the name of its leader, Fazal-ur-Rehman. During the 1980s, the JUI supported some of General Zia ul Haq’s policies, including his anti-Soviet Jihad in Afghanistan. Additionally, official patronage and financial support for madrassas during the Zia years.

It allowed the JUI to build thousands of madrassas, especially in the NWFP (now KPK), which were instrumental in the formation of the Taliban. At the same time the JUI was distrustful of Zia’s close ties with the Jamaat-e-Islami and joined the anti-Zia and PPP-led Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).

As a religious-political party Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl, based on the Deobandi school of thought. It pursues the ideal of enforcement of Shariah law in the country. It has consistently opposed liberal and progressive policies, equating them with ‘imposition of western culture’ which it deems inappropriate for an Islamic state. It is against the military operation in FATA and has advocated negotiations with the Taliban to resolve the issues.