SUKKUR: Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Moulana Fazalur Rehman has said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is the product of dictator Gen Ziaul Haq while it was promoted by Gen Pervez Musharraf and today the MQM workers raise slogans against Pakistan.

He was addressing a JUI-F workers convention held at the ground adjacent to Madressa Mazharul Uloom Hamm­adia, Manzil Gah, here on Tuesday.

Criticising the anti-Pakistan slogans raised by the MQM workers, he said: “We are to chant the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad and not Murdabad.”

He said the Sindh government wanted to introduce a law for registration of seminary (Madressa) schools, their students and Moulvis, but the Sindh government was first required to get itself registered. “We are not ready to accept any constitution against Islam,” he said, adding that no seminary school of Sindh would be closed.

He said he wanted to tell the Sindh government that it might consult with “us for making the law, otherwise if our will/choice is not included, we will not accept the will of the government”.

Mr Rehman said Punjab Assembly had made a law against Islam, but he got it withdrawn and a similar law was got withdrawn by JUI workers in the KPK.

He said: “We have always struggled for the Islamic constitution in Pakistan and the constitution which violates Islam is not acceptable.”

He said the world wanted to create chaos in Pakistan, but “this is our country and we will prove ourselves faithful. If the country faces any difficult situation, those wearing turban and sporting beards will be in front line to defend the country”.

He on the occasion announced about holding a historic public meeting on April 7, 8 and 9 in Peshawar where people from across Pakistan would gather.

Others who addressed on the occasion included acting JUI Pakistan secretary general Muhammad Amjad Khan, Sindh secretary general Moulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, Moulana Abdul Qayoom Halejvi, Qari Muhammad Usman, Moulana Siraj Shah Amroti, Moulana Muhammad Saleh Indhar and Moulana Saud Afzal Halejvi.

Strict security arrangements were made at the venue of the workers convention while the Bunder road and regent road were kept closed since morning by security guards of the JUI. Heavy police contingents were also deployed at different locations of the Bunder road.

LARKANA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that it is premature to comment before knowing about the background of raising anti-Pakistan slogans by workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the Dr Khalid Mehmood’s grave here on Tuesday, he said it should be seen first what had compelled them to raise such slogans. He avoided making any comment on the sedition charges against MQM leaders and activists or possibility of a ban on the party.

Similar slogans were raised by the same people in 1995 in Washington, but no one had taken notice of that and no action had so far been initiated against them.

It was now up to the courts that how they would take the issue, he said but in the same breath added that all should be done in accordance with the constitution.

He condemned attacks on media houses.

Despite having differences with the government over certain issues, people should unite for the general cause of the country, he said.

Panama leaks was an international issue, but silence prevailed the worldwide except for some unnecessary voices raised in Pakistan, he said.

“I know opposition very well”, which, according to him, was more under pressure than the government.

Instead of criticising others, the opposition should better analyse and assess itself, he advised.

He said the Sindh government was the only obstacle in giving punishment to the killers of Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro. He announced encircling the Chief Minister House on Sept 1 and staging a sit-in there.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016