Former Home Minister of Pakistan and head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal), Maulana Fazlur Rehman has made a scathing attack on the government and army of Pakistan. He claimed that many areas of Balochistan are still not under the control of the government and now the Pashtun area is also in the grip of violence. He also said that soldiers protect the country in exchange for their job and salary, hence their martyrdom should not be used as a political shield.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman raised serious questions on the country’s security system and the role of the army in a public program. He said that the government’s grip has weakened in many parts of Pakistan and common people are living in an atmosphere of fear. Fazlur Rehman said that the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is so bad that the police do not come out of their police stations after evening. According to him, when the police are not on the streets, armed groups and criminals roam freely. He alleged that the provincial government is limited to the offices of the capital only and has no impact on the ground.
There is no administrative hold
Referring to Balochistan, he said that many Baloch areas there have been out of the influence of the government for a long time. He claimed that even today the Government of Pakistan does not have complete “reet” i.e. effective administrative hold there. He said that now the same situation is gradually developing in Pashtun areas also. Fazlur Rehman said that in recent days a large number of people have died in the Pashtun region. He claimed that more than 50 dead bodies were found in just two-three days and people were spending their time in performing the last rites of their relatives. He said that common citizens do not feel safe in sending their children to school or even leaving their homes to earn a living.
target on army
Taking aim at the army, he said that soldiers are recruited for the security of the country and in return they get salary. Therefore, his martyrdom should not be presented as a favor to the public. He said that the salaries of soldiers are also paid from people’s taxes. He also accused the government and the army of expecting common people to take up arms and fight. Fazlur Rehman clearly said that he never took any government salary, hence he would not form his own private army.
According to him, doing so will create an atmosphere of enmity and violence in the society for generations. At the end of his speech he advised the army to stay away from politics. He said that if someone wants to do politics then he should first take off his uniform and contest elections. Only then will it be known how much support the public gives to whom. He also alleged that questions have been continuously raised on the role of the army in forming and toppling the government in Pakistan.
Leave a Reply