THATTA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Sindh general secretary Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro on Tuesday claimed that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was reluctant to join in his party’s proposed ‘decisive anti-government drive’ in Islamabad “in the anticipation of some favour from those who matter”.

Speaking at a press conference at Madressa Babul Islam here, Maulana Soomro said PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari believed that by refusing to join in the drive, he might get some relief for his incarcerated father [Asif Ali Zardari] and aunt [Faryal Talpur] from those who matter.

The JUI-F leader also expressed his view that many a prominent political and civil society figures had lost their lives in pursuit of citizens’ rights, democracy and supremacy of Constitution as developments kept occurring “according to a script”. In this regard, he mentioned the names of Benazir Bhutto, Bashir Khan Qureshi, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro. In the same breath, he added that efforts were on the separate Karachi from the rest of Sindh. He feared disintegration of the country if political forces did not act promptly in the right direction.

Regarding Indian aggression along the Line of Control and international border as well as in the occupied Jammu & Kashmir, Maulana Soomro said that the JUI-F was fully abreast of the situation and ready to fight the enemy shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army on the Kashmir issue. “Our three million activists are ready to offer any sacrifice in the face of Indian aggression,” he said.

He observed that Pakistan was currently passing through the most crucial phase vis-a-vis the Kashmir issue and also in the face of political instability, unprecedented inflation, declining national economy and flawed foreign policy. They very situation compelled the JUI-F to launch a decisive drive against the incapable PTI government and save the country, he said.

Commenting on the recent public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Muzafarabad, Maulana Soomro said it was meant for expressing solidarity with the oppressed people of Kashmir but cricketers, filmstars and singers were invited to make it a variety show for entertainment which was a cruel joke with Kashmiri brethren at this time of trial and tribulation. He said the ruling clique must have realised that Kashmir, which was described by Quaid-i-Aazam Mohammad Ali Jinnah as the jugular vein of Pakistan, had been cut off by the Modi regime.

He said the JUI-F held 15 ‘million marches’ in recent months across the country and now it had planned the final one in Islamabad, where three to five million people would assemble in the last week of October to unseat the “pro-Jewish” government.

He warned that vested interests were at work to cause a serious harm to Pakistan, and cited Indian move to annex the held valley, presenting of an award to Narendra Modi by the UAE, triggering of communal riots and Ghotki and several such incidents as a prelude in this regard.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2019