LOWER DIR/ BAJAUR: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan former emir Sirajul Haq on Sunday alleged that the United States, Israel and India were conspiring to create rifts between Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to pit the two neighbours against each other, warning that such tensions would be disastrous for both the countries.

Addressing a Khatm-i-Bukhari Sharif ceremony at Ahyaul Uloom, Balambat, as chief guest, he said that discord between Pakistan and Afghanistan amounted to “victory for America and India” and stressed that such conspiracies must be foiled. War and prolonged tension, he added, were not in the interest of either country.

The ceremony marked the graduation of around 500 male and female religious scholars and huffaz, who were awarded certificates and honoured with turbans and ceremonial shawls.

Sirajul Haq claimed that the US wanted to regain control of the Bagram airbase and rejected reports attributed to Pakistani ministers about plans to turn Afghanistan into “Tora Bora”, terming such statements baseless. He urged the ministers to “act responsibly”, refrain from becoming tools of hostile forces and avoid fuelling thealready volatile situation.

Says govts failed to resolve problems faced by people

Calling for restraint, he appealed to religious scholars and tribal elders on both sides of the border to play an active role in diffusing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also welcomed the decree issued by 1,000 Afghan religious scholars, which declared that any Afghan found involved in armed activities in Pakistan would be considered a rebel and face action.

Referring to regional and international developments, he said that despite limited resources, Hamas fighters had shown steadfast resistance against what he described as an aggressive Israeli military, while Pakistan and Iran had also given Israel a “strong and crushing response”.

Turning to domestic issues, the former JI emir stressed that for the enforcement of an Islamic order, saying religious groups would need to set aside their differences, unite on a single platform and jointly oppose the capitalist system.

Meanwhile, addressing another Khatm-i-Bukhari ceremony at Madrassa Hayatul Muslimeen in Koto, Lower Dir, the JI former emir alleged that corruption was rampant in the country, blaming a “corrupt elite” for rising inflation and growing hardship for the poor.

Addressing another gathering at a seminary in the Kasai area of Salarzai tehsil, Bajaur, held in connection with Khatm-i-Bukhari Sharif, Mr Haq said that the people of the country were confronted with multiple challenges, including poverty, inflation, and unemployment. He, however, alleged that both the federal and provincial governments had failed to resolve these pressing issues.

The JI leader said that though every citizen was aware of the widespread corruption by the rulers in the country but the recent IMF report on the government’s corruption was an eye-opener that how public money was being misused by the rulers and elite class.

He said that the financial crisis in the country worsened with each passing day adding that the incumbent governments were unable address the issue.

JI local chapter emir Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, Maulana Fazal Wahid and others also addressed the event, highlighting the contributions of religious seminaries in promoting peace and harmony in the society.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025