PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said here on Monday that they were not ready to accept any interference of government in the affairs of religious seminaries.

Addressing a huge public meeting, he said that the status of religious seminaries would remain autonomous.

“We will give two or three weeks time to government to mend its ways and don’t impose its decision on us regarding religious seminaries otherwise we will react,” he said.

The public gathering was organised by JUI-F to condemn the atrocities of Israel against innocent Palestinians. The gathering was titled as Israel Murdabad conference “down with Israel conference”.

The JUI-F chief said that first of all they were trying to make the government understand logically otherwise they would use force.

Conference condemns Israeli atrocities against Palestinians

He said that people in uniform and intelligence agencies should threaten him over the legislation related to seminaries because such tactics could scare him.

“We are demonstrating patience. Don’t compel us to go towards Islamabad,” he added.

He said that all people including army generals and other citizens had the same rights as all possessed Pakistani identity cards. “Neither have you (establishment) played any role in the creation of Pakistan nor you played any role for the survival of Pakistan. You are on a way leading to the destruction of Pakistan,” he added.

Mr Rehman said that religious seminaries of all schools of thoughts would deliberate upon the march towards Islamabad on December 15 or 16 and then a strategy would be chalked out in that connection.

“Prior to the passage of this bill from both the houses of parliament, the draft of the bill was approved by PML-N, PPP and PTI in separate meetings with the leadership of JUI-F,” he said.

He said that government didn’t raise objections over deletion of 34 sections out of 56 proposed constitutional amendments prior to its passage and about the approval of several controversial laws then why it was reluctant to give assent to the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024.

He said that after consensus was developed with PPP, the JUI-F leadership held a lengthy meeting with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on the same issue and he also agreed with it.

The PTI leaders had also said in a meeting with JUI-F that they had no objection to the law.

He said that PPP and PML-N passed the bill from both the houses of the parliament but the powers that be stopped it.

“Why president is not signing the approved bill,” the JUI-F leader questioned. He termed it betrayal. He pledged to continue struggle for strengthening religious seminaries. He said that he could cross any limit for achieving that goal.

He said that they stood with the Palestinian brethren in the hard time and would fight for their rights.

He said that the so-called champions of human rights including America, UK and other western countries were equally involved in the genocide of innocent Palestinians.

Hamas leader Dr Naji Zaheer, JUI-F general secretary Ghafoor Haideri and other leaders of the party also addressed the gathering.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2024