SUKKUR: Reiterating his party’s stance that the so-called ‘war on terror’ led by the United States in this region was actually aimed at religious forces, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Monday that ‘Blackwater security agency’ had strengthened itself to accomplish the task.
Speaking to the media after chairing a meeting of his party’s executive committee at the residence of Syed Agha Ayub here, the JUI-F chief strongly condemned repeated terrorist attacks on him and on many of his party colleagues one of which claimed the life of his close aide, Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro. He said under a deep-rooted international conspiracy, ulema and other religious scholars were being eliminated as part of the war.
“We are being particularly targeted because we are the biggest religious party in the country and have the largest number of followers. Besides, we represent all religious parties in the National Assembly,” Maulana Rehman said.
He observed that the government and the state had miserably failed to fulfil its prime responsibility of protecting the life of citizens. “It’s time the government and the state and its institutions declared they cannot fulfil this responsibility so that citizens could take up arms to defend themselves,” he said.
He said the JUI-F was a peaceful party and that’s why its leaders and workers appeared to be soft targets of attacks. “We do not allow our leaders and workers to carry guns but now when terrorists armed with sophisticated weapons and explosives are openly challenging us, we have the right to defend ourselves,” he argued.
Maulana Rehman said that the US had spread a network of intelligence in the region under its plan to maintain ‘special vigilance’ apparently on Al Qaeda, Taliban and other militant organisations. In the name of such vigilance, he claimed, it obtained as many as 700 visas for members of Blackwater security agency who were now in Pakistan in the garb of embassy officials, traders and businessmen. The visas, he added, had been issued to them without the mandatory clearance from Pakistan’s security agencies.
The JUI-F always stood for supremacy of the Constitution, law, peace and democracy but it was being punished because it never opted for violence to avenge attacks and excesses, he said, adding that the assassination of former senator Dr Soomro was extremely shocking for the JUI-F and all religious forces. He called for immediate arrest of the killers and all those behind the killing.
He advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the military leadership to look into the matter and formulate a joint civilian-military strategy to deal with the situation. In reply to a question, Maulana Rehman said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, who is Niazi by caste, chose Dec 16 for a nationwide strike because on this day in 1971 General Niazi along with his troops had surrendered to the enemy. “It seems that Mr Khan will celebrate the anniversary,” he remarked.
“We are not going to point finger on anyone with regard to Dr Soomro’s killing before a thorough investigation is carried out. A case will be lodged after the party leadership’s consultation with the bereaved family,” he told a questioner.
Rejecting Mr Khan’s ‘plan C’, the the Maulana remarked that Mr Khan’s all plans from A to Z were doomed to failure. He said Mr Khan was busy leading dance parties and musical programmes and, as such, he did not find time to send even a condolence message to the bereaved family of JUI-F leadership on Dr Soomro’s tragic death.
Dr Soomro’s soyem held
LARKANA: Ulema, teachers and students of all seminaries being managed by the JUI-F as well followers of our school of thought should not feel left alone after the assassination of Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, said his eldest son, Nasir Soomro, after being declared heir to the religious leader at the soyem.
The soyem was held at the Jamia Isha’atul Quran here on Monday.
Nasir Soomro undertook to carry forward the mission of his father and express his determination to lead JUI-F workers and followers of its school of thought in strict compliance of the party line and Islam. He called for immediate arrest of his father’s killers.
Every worker or follower would be looked after, he pledged, and vowed to continue the party’s struggle without any disruption. He urged the state machinery and government to do justice with the bereaved family and ensure their protection.
“If you cannot arrest the killers, then we cannot assure you of law and order,” he remarked. He advised JUI-F workers to set their eyes on future leaving the past behind.
Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2014
