BANNU: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that army might not have won the war against terrorism easily without the support of his party.

Speaking at Ulema Conference here on Monday, he said that elimination of the gun culture was essential for protection of the country. “Our security forces have won the war against terrorism but it might not have been easy without the support of JUI-F,” he said, adding that like army, a large number of ulema, students and political workers also laid down their lives in that war.

Federal Minister for Housing Akram Khan Durrani and other leaders of JUI-F also attended the conference.

Says gun culture destabilising country

It is worth mentioning that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has survived several suicide attacks while his party’s leaders and workers have been killed in suicide and bomb attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The JUI-F chief condemned militancy and terrorism and said that gun culture was destabilising the country. He said that his party would not take up arms against political opponents rather it would confront them politically. He said that JUI-F would not instigate youngsters to incline towards militancy.

He alleged that the US and other western countries were trying to encourage young people to take up arms. He said that his party believed in parliamentary politics and would continue struggle for safeguarding democratic system.

Mr Rehman said that no party could form or run government without the support of JUI-F. He said that it was their strategy to confront opponent politically to save the young generation and protect seminaries. He said that security forces defeated militants with the support of JUI-F.

Commenting on the proposed reforms in Fata particularly its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the JUI-F chief said that his party was not against reforms or mainstreaming of the tribal region. He said that his main contention was to seek opinion of tribal people before making crucial decisions about their future.

He said that several agreements had been signed with the tribal people that should be taken into consideration. He said that merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be a crucial step that required major amendments in the Constitution.

Mr Rehman said that his party made amendment to restore clauses about finality of Prophethood in the electoral laws. He said that the issue was politicised that caused disturbance in the Parliament. He said that Constitution required more amendments without disturbing its basic structure.

Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the JUI-F chief said that PTI was trying to promote western culture in society. He said that PTI was brought into government in the province to replace Islamic values and Pakhtun culture with western culture. Mr Rehman said that funds were utilised to undermine Islamic values and Pakhtun culture in the province. He said that funds were offered to Khateeb and Ulema for the purpose.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017