PESHAWAR, Jan 27: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman came down hard on Awami National Party here on Sunday for what he called its flawed policies and said that the ruling coalition failed to deliver during the last five years in the province.

“There is an undeclared martial law in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the so-called champions of Pakhtun rights have surrendered everything to America,” he said while addressing his party workers.

A large number of workers of other political parties on this occasion joined JUI-F. According to the organisers, around 10,000 people joined JUI-F.

Mr Rehman said that incumbent leadership did not have the ability to take pressure and steer the nation out of the crises although the country had immense talent and potential. He said that Pakistan could play pivotal role to restore permanent peace in Afghanistan. “Pakistan has the ability to play due role in restoration of peace in Afghanistan, but our leadership does not have the capability and skill to take bold decisions,” he said.

The JUI-F chief said that the nation had been divided along linguistic, provincial and sectarian lines and state institutions including bureaucracy and establishment failed to achieve main objectives of the creation of Pakistan. “The nation has been divided along Shia, Sunni, Sindhi, Baloch and Punjabi and the state’s writ has eroded,” he added.

Mr Rehman said that Pakistan was under pressure because of borrowing foreign loans therefore the ruling class could not absorb pressure. He said that Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal government had maintained the writ of the state and no area was declared as conflict or war zone.

He held ANP responsible for the prevailing situation and said that the provincial government had surrendered all its powers to the military. He said ANP announced to convene All Parties Conference to hold peace talks with Taliban when general elections were round the corner.

“JUI has refused to attend the APC because we do not want to take blame for the wrong doings of others,” Mr Rehman said, adding that his party had already begun homework for starting peace process in Fata. For this purpose, he said, his party had formed grand jirga in which all tribes including minorities had been given representation.

“The jirga has been given complete authority to negotiate with all stakeholders for establishing lasting peace in the tribal areas,” he said, adding that JUI-F did not want to impose any decision.

The JUI-F chief said that there was no reason to delay general polls in the country. He hoped that his party would sweep the next elections. He said that people were fed up with the status quo and wanted change that’s why they were looking towards JUI-F.