LARKANA: It was consistent struggle waged by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and not any American conspiracy which finally led to the ouster of Imran Khan from power, said major party leaders in Qambar.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, the party’s general secretary, and Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, general secretary the party’s Sindh chapter, made the claim while speaking at ‘Khatm-i-Nubuwwat conference’ in Qambar town late on Monday night.

They accused Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government of obtaining heavy loans from International Monetary Fund, which were now dragging the economy down and compounding difficulties for people.

They said that Imran Khan deluded the nation with false claims and hollow promises of creating millions of jobs for the educated youth. The man who tarnished image of state institutions could never be a well wisher of Pakistan, they said.

They lamented that JUI-F was fighting for peoples’ rights but surprisingly when it came to voting people always cast vote for feudal lords, nawabs, jagirdars and sardars and when it came to accountability they subjected JUI-F leaders to tough questions.

They made it clear that JUI-F had no alliance with Pakistan Peoples Party in Sindh. “If you have any questions about fuel price or hike in dollar rate you may ask Ishaq Dar and Shehbaz Sharif about it. JUI-F ministers are answerable only for the portfolios which they hold,” they said emphatically.

They said the federal minister for communications Asad Mehmood had conducted interviews for over 8,000 jobs, worked on 300-kilometre Sukkur-Karachi motorway, which would cost Rs370 million, and regularised services of contractual employees within eight months of rule.

The JUI-F regularly held parleys with Asif Ali Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif about matters of constitution and parliament as people had given them mandate for sitting with them in parliament, they said.

If people, they said, gave the JUI-F thumping majority in parliament, it would not need to enter into any alliance with any party and work independently for the progress of the nation. JUI-F had no alliance with PPP in centre it was an ally of PML-N, they said.

“We have contested polls against Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Syed Khurshid Shah and other feudal lords in general and local bodies’ elections in Sindh,” they said. They urged people to understand the right use of their vote which was the only strong weapon they had to bring change. If people wanted Islamic revolution in the country and witness true prosperity they would have to send ulama to parliament, they said.

They claimed that JUI-F had generously participated in volunteer activities during unprecedented rain and flood and helped marooned people in their difficult days.

Abdul Razzak Lakho, Gul Mohammed Inqalabi, Dr A.G. Ansari, Maulana Mohammad Siddiq Mangnejo and others also spoke at the conference.

Published in Dawn, February 22th, 2023