‘Islamabad, Kabul must engage in self-reflection’

JUI-F chief says war is not a solution to any problem

MARDAN:

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has advised both Pakistan and Afghanistan to review their attitudes. He has also asked “armed groups” to abandon violence, noting that war is not a solution to any problem.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan must reassess their approaches,” Fazl said on Sunday while addressing a gathering at Jamia Islamia Babuzai in Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

Pakistan and Afghanistan came on the brink of war after the Afghan Taliban launched simultaneous attacks on Pakistani posts across the long border between the two neighbours on October 11.

The Pakistan Army immediately carried out an effective retaliatory strike, targeting several Afghan positions. Pakistan’s “timely and precise action” destroyed multiple Afghan border posts and left dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khawarij terrorists dead.

On October 18, the two neighbours agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Doha. Both countries agreed to stop fighting and work toward “lasting peace and stability” in talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey.

Last week the Afghan Taliban regime once again accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes inside its territory, a claim which the Pakistan Army vehemently denied. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of supporting outlawed groups responsible for terrorism in the country.

Talking with reference to the crisis, the JUI-F chief, whose party has been traditionally regarded to be very close to the Afghan Taliban, said war is not the solution to any issue.

Fazl lamented that Palestinian blood is dripping from US President Trump’s hands, yet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is talking about getting Trump a Nobel Peace Prize.

He said the present government has destroyed the country’s economy. “This is not the Pakistan the people had hoped for. The nation had sought an Islamic system and religious freedom,” he said.

Fazl said his party wanted a country where there is peace and people can breathe freely. The government must give people their rights.
The JUI-F chief said the Constitution has been turned into a toy, and instead of people’s aspirations, the wishes of influential individuals are being imposed.

“Lawmakers were bought for getting the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed; it was passed with a fake majority,” he claimed.

Fazl also claimed that the federal government had put the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project on hold, apparently at the behest of the west.