Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose worldview is lopsided, should not create problems for our principled stand on Kashmir.
ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazlur Rehman is demanding chairmanship of the Kashmir Committee and a ministry as a condition for joining the government at the centre. What makes the JUI chief a suitable candidate for the job he is demanding? What has he done during his previous chairmanships of the said committee?
In my view, if the Maulana’s demand is acceded to, the Kashmir cause will suffer a setback because of his soft corner for militant extremists. The Maulana’s demand appears inexplicable. I hope he does not become a hurdle in the way of a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Now, why he aspires to become the defacto foreign minister of Pakistan is incomprehensible.
The quixotic strings the Maulana is attatching to his support for Nawaz Sharif reflect outdated politics of the past. The most astute political cleric of Pakistan, whose worldview is lopsided, should not create problems for our principled stand on Kashmir. I am not challenging his motives but his knowhow and experience of complex foreign policy issues are superficial at best.
BA Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2013.
