LAKKI MARWAT: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has claimed that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will contest elections against the forces that believe in separation of religion from the state and want a system, which allows interest-based business, drinking wine and obscenity.

“The religious parties want to enforce Islamic system in Pakistan because the country came into existence in holy month of Ramazan and in the name of Islam,” he said while speaking at a meeting of party’s office-bearers and workers in Lakki city on Wednesday.

The JUI-F chief said: “We could not transform our system during last 70 years. “The religious segment rendered sacrifices for the cause of religion but the enlightened and secular forces living a palatial life are making a mockery of our sacrifices.”

He continued: “Such forces propagate that our burqa-clad/veiled women in houses have been imprisoned there and are not allowed to play active role in society.

The religious parties are against such type of ideology as the pioneers of this ideology want to keep the entire nation under subjugation of the US.”

The Maulana stressed the need for educating each individual about the importance of ballot, asking people to use their right of franchise in favour of those who were righteous and on the right path.

He said the southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the most backward because of the apathy of the successive governments.

“The successive provincial governments hindered uplifting of southern districts subjecting people to face deprivations and problems in education, health, water supply, communication and other sectors,” he added.

Mr Rehman said that JUI-F’s former lawmakers from the district could not be blamed for people’s deprivations as they were in opposition, but they remained loyal to the party and rejected offers of millions of rupees in Senate elations.

The JUI-F chief said that he belonged to the region and was well aware of the problems faced by the residents of southern districts, adding that the MMA would bring a new era of development in the province if voted to power in the coming elections.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2018