Fazl cautioned against holding public rallies

Ministry conveys to the JUI-F leader that he faces threat to his life.

ISLAMABAD:

Once considered an avid supporter of Taliban, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been cautioned by the Interior Ministry against holding public meetings or rallies due to threats from hard core militants believed to have recently turned against him.

The JUI-F chief had just returned from a foreign tour when the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA ) warned him of an imminent threat to his life. NACTA, which is mandated to combat terrorism, has conveyed to Rehman that Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and al Qaeda might target him yet again on the basis of credible intelligence reports. A party leader confirmed that Rehman had been advised not to attend public meetings without clearance from his security advisors.

The warning was issued after security agencies indicated he was a prime target on account of intelligence gathered by Saudi agencies which suggested the JUI-F may play a role in the elimination of some Arab militants hiding in Pakistan. Apparently, this led the TTP and al Qaeda to brand him as an enemy. The JUI-F chief discussed with King Abdullah the prevailing security threats to hard-line clerics hailing from various religious parties who enjoy the patronage of Gulf countries.

A party office-bearer told The Express Tribune that the JUI-F chief had confided in the Saudi monarch about probable attacks from al Qaeda and other militant forces targeting religious parties after the WikiLeaks’ revelation that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia fund hard-line clerics in Pakistan. “The Interior Ministry has informed JUI-F leaders that they might be the next target of TTP or al Qaeda,” reiterated party leader Maulana Shujaul Mulk.

Rehman has called a meeting of the central executive committee on June 14 to announce the party’s future line of action as part of the opposition in parliament as well as the security situation in the backdrop of Osama bin Laden’s killing.

JUI-F’s Secretary General Maulana Ghafoor Haidri, who met the JUI-F chief at his house last night, was also concerned that Rehman now faces serious threats to his life after suicide attacks on his processions in Swabi and Charsadda in March. Senator Dr Ismail Buledi said the party will devise its policy on US drone attacks at a time when it has been accused of adopting an ambiguous stance on national security issues. He ruled out any differences within the party, especially in the Balochistan Assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2011.