Just spoke to a Maulana about the issue and I heard him explain the latest scandal and just presented two facts:
2002 Elections:
- Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman led MMA captured 63 seats (Nationally) and 68 seats in KPK and formed provincial Government
- In the next elections it was routed nationally (10 seats) and destoryed in KPK. Pushtuns voted for ANP which is a Secular, leftists party instead of the ULAMA (let that sink in...)
2013 Elections:
- Imran Khan's PTI won 38 seats and formed Government in KPK
- In the next elections they are poised to lead Pakistan
The Point?
If the Pushtuns who are the most conservatives in Pakistan rejected fellow Pushtun Ulama after seeing their performance for 5 years, there is no way Ulama in Pakistan can win anything (politically)
This is not an Islamic comparison but a political one.
PTI went from a much smaller (provincial share) to a national Government in 5 years while Ulama were routed with a much bigger national and overwhelming provincial Government.
People will not vote for someone simply because he is an Alim.
then the people would back them in droves. in pakistan we have the poor and the destitute, we have the oppressed, we have the sick, we have the lowly workers who barely manage to scrape out a living, we have the orphans, the widows, the elderly etc. if we help and provide for them as we should be doing then they would fully back the ulama. i know it might not be as simple as that, but it is a good start. 
