PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Faz lur Rehman has criticized those who disregard the Constitution while claiming to be the protectors of the state. He asserted that his party stands by the Constitution and remains loyal to the country.
Addressing a tribal jirga in Peshawar, Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced plans to convene a gathering of Pashtun political parties to discuss tribal issues. He warned that his party would not hesitate to march to Islamabad if necessary to demand rights.
Clarifying his stance on the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said he never opposed the merger itself. However, he criticized the government for implementing it without consulting the tribal people. He recalled a jirga in Hayatabad attended by 4,000 tribal elders, where it was agreed that the voices of the tribes should be heard before any decision was made.
The JUI-F chief asserted that the resources of Punjab and Sindh belong to their respective people, just as the resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be for the Pashtuns alone. He stated that neither the United States nor the Pakistani military has any claim over them.
He declared that the jirga movement would not stop in Peshawar but could extend to Islamabad. "JUI-F has always stood with the oppressed, and the tribal people are an integral part of our party," he added.
Maulana Fazl ur Rehman warned the authorities against suppressing his party’s movement, stating that if any of his workers were harmed in Islamabad, history would remember the rulers as oppressors.
Accusing the government of being subservient to Western powers, he said, "Our rulers are slaves of the United States and the West. They picked up arms against their Muslim brothers on America's orders and used state power against them. Now, the U.S. once again seeks war in Afghanistan."
He reiterated his party’s commitment to upholding the Constitution, emphasizing that it is a shared national interest. "The 1973 Constitution states that no law can be made against Islam," he said, adding that he has been a part of Parliament since 1988 and has always prioritized demands for implementing Islamic principles.
Maulana Fazl ur Rehman concluded by highlighting that Islam is a religion of peace and that stability is essential for progress. "Lawlessness has hindered development," he stated, while also condemning the imposition of bans on political parties and politicians without due judicial process, calling it a violation of the Constitution.
