Fazl rejects rationale for K-P governor's rule

ISLAMABAD:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday rejected the government's justification for imposing governor's rule and an emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), alleging that the measures were aimed at gaining control of the province's mineral resources rather than addressing terrorism.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the party's central shura, Fazl called for an in-camera session of parliament to brief lawmakers on the security situation and discuss the government's actions.

He announced that no JUI-F member would join the interim council being formed in K-P, arguing that political power should change hands through constitutional means rather than the use of force at the behest of powerful quarters.

Fazl said his party believed in political dialogue and that grievances over government policies should be addressed through discussion rather than allegations and accusations.

He urged the government to convene an in-camera parliamentary session to hear the concerns of political parties and deliberate on the way forward.

Rejecting governor's rule in K-P, the JUI-F chief said the federal government's justification for the move was baseless and questioned the results of repeated military operations against terrorism. He alleged that the measures were intended to bring the province's mineral resources under control.

He pointed out that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had merged the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with K-P but was now placing the former tribal areas under federal control. In his view, he said, the developments were driven by an interest in controlling the province's mineral wealth.

Fazl questioned the constitutional basis for the measures, arguing that governments should be installed or removed in accordance with the Constitution rather than through coercion.

He asked whether governor's rule imposed by former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari had been accepted at the time.

He also accused President Asif Ali Zardari of failing to fulfil his constitutional obligations by signing the relevant measure without being satisfied that the requirements had been met.

The JUI-F chief said no single power could claim to represent the interests of the entire nation. He urged policymakers to formulate a strategy keeping future challenges in view, observing that Asia was once again emerging as a global economic hub.

Fazl also called for the Muslim world to form a united and effective bloc. He regretted that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was ineffective. He said Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia were an attempt to thwart Muslim unity.

Regarding the fight against terrorism, Fazl said his party had also suffered heavily, with more than 150 people killed in terrorist violence. He said the JUI-F had rejected the politics of the gun.

He criticised the system introduced by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, saying it had failed. He recalled that the police had been separated from the administration under that system, adding that there had subsequently been calls to reverse the arrangement.

He questioned why, 25 years later, the same system was again being considered for restoration.

Fazl said his party had called for extensive consultation before the merger of Fata with K-P, but the decision had been imposed wholesale on the people of the former tribal areas. He noted that the emergency had now also been imposed in those districts.

He said tribal elders from the former Fata had been invited to meetings and asked about the merger, during which there had been agreement that the process had failed.

Fazl said he had maintained a relationship of respect with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari in the past, and that the relationship continued to this day.

Referring to former US secretary of state Colin Powell, he said Powell had acknowledged that the proposal to send troops into Fata had originated with the United States.

Fazl said his party had no objection to investment but questioned why the United States alone was showing interest, insisting that such matters should be placed before the nation.

Announcing the party's future plans, Fazl said a jirga of tribal representatives from the former Fata would be convened, while a student convention would be organised in Islamabad. The party would also hold a public gathering in Sargodha on November 26.

He said the central shura had called for fresh elections, adding that the JUI-F did not accept the results of the 2018 and 2024 general elections.

Fazl said his party was not seeking a certificate of patriotism from anyone, stressing that its members had taken an oath in parliament and remained committed to honouring it.