Maulana Fazl's brother accepts Gandapur's election challenge

• Zia says Gandapur isn’t worthy of Maulana’s response.
• Questions CM’s Gandapur lineage in fiery message.
• Vows to end PTI’s rule, says Gandapur’s time is up.

Engineer Zia-ur-Rehman, the younger brother of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has accepted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s challenge to contest an election in Dera Ismail Khan.

“Gandapur, I accept your challenge. You're not worthy of Maulana's response, so face me instead,” Zia said in a strongly worded video message released late on Sunday night.

The fiery exchange follows a press conference held in Lahore on Sunday, where Gandapur dared Fazl to contest an election against his (CM's) brother in DI Khan. Gandapur pledged to quit politics if the JUI-F leader won, but insisted Maulana should do the same if he lost.

“First, try defeating this son of Mufti Mahmood. Maulana Fazlur Rehman dragged your leader from the seat of power. Now, make your brother resign and put him up against me,” the challenger roared, addressing the chief minister directly.

Zia said he had once publicly claimed that if a DNA test were done, the chief minister wouldn’t even qualify as a real Gandapur. "Gandapurs are brave and honourable people," he added. "He’s not one of them."

Vowing to free the people of KP from the clutches of a "corrupt regime," Fazl's brother claimed Gandapur’s pain and his desperate outburst were proof that his ouster from power was just around the corner.

Maulana Fazl on Friday said any political change in KP should come from within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“I’ve made my suggestion — there should be a change in the province,” he said at a press conference in Peshawar.

He added that his party would decide its course of action after internal consultation, stressing that the province could not afford more political instability.