PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday asked the military establishment and bureaucracy to change their mindset and stop imposing the pro-West forces on the nation.

“The establishment and bureaucracy instead of imposing the pro-West elements should give way to real democracy and let the people elect their representatives,” he told the youth convention here.

The JUI-F chief said millions of people had thronged his party’s rallies and public meetings in 2013 but the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was given the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through a grand conspiracy.

He alleged that the military establishment had always attempted to remove popular governments and brought pro-West elements to power to promote the western culture and values in society.

Fazl alleges PTI given KP govt under a conspiracy

Mr Fazl said popular leaders were being declared corrupt and traitor.

He said the people of KP were religious minded and conservative and therefore, the PTI was given the government in the province to promote western culture.

Criticising the KP government’s move to pay Rs10,000 stipend to mosque prayer leaders each on monthly basis, he said the ulema were offered less amount than mirasi (hereditary singers).

The JUI-F chief insisted that the prayer leaders had refused to receive the government’s monthly stipend.

The incumbent government had launched a financial scheme and paid Rs30,000 stipend per month to every artist. The scheme lasted one year with around 500 artists benefiting from it.

Mr Fazl said the US had been targeting religious institutions, including seminaries, since 9/11 attacks.

He said the curriculum was being developed with an aim to divide the nation along geographic and ideological lines.

The JUI-F chief said on one hand, the KP government had declared the Nazra (teaching of the Holy Quran) and its translation compulsory in schools but on the other, it had banned the recruitment of Arabic and theology teachers in schools across the province.

He said schools, especially maktab schools, had been closed on the pretext of low enrolments.

Mr Fazl expressed concern about the killing of civilians, especially women and children, in Syria and urged Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to intervene for peace in the Middle East.

He said the international humanitarian laws were being violated in Syria as millions of innocent civilians had so far been killed in the conflict.

“Being the chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, Saudi Arabia should use its influence and resources to check hostilities in Syria and other parts of the Arab world,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2018