Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has lashed out at the United States and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's nomination of US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, asserting that peace and Trump cannot coexist.
Speaking at a conference in Battagram on Sunday, the JUI-F emir sounded alarms over Washington's renewed efforts to rally Muslim countries behind it. "America is once again saying we should walk together this same America that has abandoned us many times before," he said.
"Now it wants to unite on the basis of Prophet Ibrahim's lineage, but how can we forget the atrocities in Palestine, and the blood that was shed in Libya, Egypt, Syria and Jordan? How can we forget the injustices faced by Muslims?"
The JUI-F emir said that the party stood with Iran against Israel and was ready to defend the Haramain. "We are determined to unite the Muslim Ummah."
"When our country needs it, we will declare jihad and offer our lives for the defence of this nation," he added.
The conference in Battagram drew a significant crowd, with senior JUI-F leaders and provincial office bearers present, including Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Nasser Mahmood, Maulana Amjad Khan, Mufti Nisar Ahmed, Maulana Khurshid Ahmed, Maulana Ghulamullah, Bakht Nawaz Khan and Shah Hussain Khan.
During their speeches, the JUI-F leaders also blasted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, accusing it of unprecedented corruption and financial mismanagement.
"The current provincial government has broken all records of corruption," Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said. "In just one year, Rs1.1 billion was spent on food and hospitality alone. Just imagine how much was siphoned off for personal and unofficial use."
The leaders also expressed frustration over the worsening situation in Battagram. "People here are suffering badly. Elected representatives are busy filling their pockets while citizens are trapped in hunger, inflation, unemployment and lawlessness," one speaker said.
Calling on voters to back the JUI-F at the ballot box, they said that if the public entrusted the party with power through the strength of their vote, they would change the face of this country. "We will use national resources for the welfare of the people and place Pakistan among the ranks of great nations."
Tight security arrangements were made for the conference, with a heavy police presence and hundreds of JUI-F volunteers on duty.
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