MANSEHRA: The opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has decided to hold a meeting of all religious parties against the proposed laws on domestic violence and evacuee land declaring them against Islamic injunctions.

“We are going to launch street protests against the proposed domestic violence and evacuee land laws,” JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said his party’s chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, would announce the schedule of nationwide public meetings and rallies.

“I met Maulana Fazlur Rehman the other day, who asked me to get ready for street protests against the proposed legislation on domestic violence and evacuee land,” he said.

The JUI-F leader said religious parties won’t allow the government to seize the lands and buildings of mosques and seminaries as the legislation proposed for the purpose was meant to control them.

He claimed that the PTI government was under tremendous pressure by the International Monetary Fund and Financial Action Task Force to take steps, which would harm Islam and national interests.

SALARY ISSUE: The watchers appointed by the forest department to take care of the newly-planted saplings in parts of Tanawal area have complained that they have not been paid salary for five consecutive months.

“Though we have been performing our duty with utmost honestyfor the protection of the newly- planted and otherwise forests, the payment of our salaries has been withheld for the last five months,” senior watcher Mohammad Ashraf told reporters here on Wednesday.

Led by Mr Ashraf, a group of watchers deployed in Lassan Nawab, Pulrah and adjoining forests said the denial of salary had caused serious problems for their families.

Watcher Mohammad Banaras said the government hadn’t increased their salary for the last four years.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2021