MANSEHRA: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, has said that army is a national institution and it should not side with individuals.

“Army is a national institution and prestige of country. It should not become party in any individual’s case,” he told journalists here on Wednesday. He said that his party was not against the talks being held between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Mr Rehman said that basically his party initiated the efforts to bring both the sides on table in 2008 and a jirga was also constituted for the purpose.

“Now who will decide that who is behind the Rawalpindi attack that took place on Wednesday, killing innocent people. I think anti-state forces are behind this terrorist attack as they want to sabotage the ongoing talks between the government and Taliban,” he added.

The JUI-F chief said that political parties, Taliban and government should be cautious about such acts as some elements wanted to create anarchy in the country for their vested interests.

He said that defence of Pakistan ordinance was against the fundamental rights of people and his party would continue its struggle against the ordinance till exclusion of some of its clauses.

Mr Rehman also came hard on those, who were criticising the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology. He said that those people were agents of western lobby and wanted to turn the Islamic republic into a secular state. However, he said that his party would not allow such people to fulfil their evil designs.

“The recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology are truly based on teachings of Islam. Those, who are criticising its recommendations, want to impose western agenda on our nation,” the JUI-F leader said.

Without naming the provincial assembly of Sindh, Mr Rehman demanded its dissolution and said that the hall where Objective Resolution was passed was now being used to oppose it.

He said that the assembly, which was opposing Constitution of Pakistan, should be dissolved.The JUI-F chief said that his party’s members would not accept portfolios in the federal cabinet until government removed their reservations about its ‘wrong’ policies.

“We would not accept portfolios until government clears its position on its wrong polices,” said Mr Rehman. He said that his party would not support anti-people and wrong policies of the government. He added that they would keep a check on the government’s policies.

To a query, Mr Rehman said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf came into power with the slogan of change but it was facing internal rift because of its wrong polices. Time was not far when its own people would narrate stories of failure of their government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.

About appointment of former chief minister Sardar Mehtab Khan as governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the JUI-F chief said that the government had always appointed such governors, who could neither understand Pashto language nor the problems of the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas of the country.

On the occasion, provincial deputy secretary general of Awami National Party Malik Naveed announced to join JUI-F. He lauded the policies of JUI-F and said that it was representing Islam in a true way.

Mr Rehman also visited JUI-F leaders Qari Mohammad Riaz and Qasim Shah and offered fateha for the deported souls of their relatives.