ISLAMABAD: Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) Maulana Fazlur Rehman has claimed that armed groups are siphoning off 10 percent of government funds in the tribal districts, leaving traders unable to do business without paying extortion.
He was speaking at the All Parties Conference arranged by ANP President Aimal Wali Khan and attended by representatives of 19 political parties here on Sunday.
The conference adopted a joint declaration, read out at the conclusion by the ANP chief.
However, representatives of the PMLN and PPP, parliamentary leader of PMLN in the Senate Senator Irfan Siddiqui and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, did not sign the APC declaration and left when the APC declaration was being read out.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that they did not agree with the demands so they did not sign the declaration.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the situation raised serious questions over the government’s writ. He alleged that instead of resolving core issues, powerful institutions were preoccupied with asserting their authority.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the natural resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan belonged to the people, and if multinational companies invested, the resulting jobs and profits should go to local communities. “There are laws in place under which investment can be made, but rather than empowering locals, institutions are more focused on control,” he remarked.
Referring to the former Fata, the JUIF chief said that despite eight to ten years since the merger, a committee was now being formed to revive the traditional jirga system. “Why is there a need to restore jirgas after nine years? The merger was done to gain access to resources, and now that unrest has emerged, jirgas are being brought back to shift blame on to the people. Where are the promises made to the tribes?” he asked.
He stressed that both politicians and the public must remain vigilant, adding that agreed principles should not be reopened for debate.
Questioning the credibility of the system, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said, “Our parliamentary and political framework has become questionable. Stealing the public mandate was never acceptable and will never be acceptable.”
On the National Action Plan, he said it was merely an APC declaration, neither part of the Constitution nor a legal framework. “Its discriminatory aspects should be abolished. What we truly need is a National Economic Plan that reassures citizens that resources belong to them and profits will return to them,” he added, emphasizing that dialogue is the only way to resolve underlying causes of unrest.
Touching on the issue of Afghan refugees, the JUIF leader said forced repatriation, under current circumstances, was inappropriate. “Categories must be defined. Many Afghans have invested here for decades, while thousands have graduated as doctors and engineers from our institutions. They are our skilled human capital — we should not waste them. Students should at least be allowed to complete their education,” he said.
Speaking at the APC, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Parliamentary Leader in the Senate, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, said that ridiculing Punjab will not resolve national issues. Siddiqui urged political leaders to move beyond grievances and adopt a national perspective. “Let us hold a national dialogue, form a committee, and I will personally take your recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he said.
He emphasized that the Constitution belongs to all citizens and vowed that no one would be allowed to undermine it. “If martial law had been imposed, there would not have been this freedom to speak in an APC in Islamabad,” he added.
Praising the armed forces, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said the Pakistan Army is the guardian of the federation and its units have defeated an enemy five times larger. “Celebrating those victories is also Pakistanism,” he remarked.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui noted that harsh tones had been used at the gathering. “In democracy, bitter truths must be expressed in a sweet tone,” he said.
He reminded the participants that every political party had endured hardships and sacrifices, but none had resorted to attacking military installations or state institutions. Citing examples, he said: “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who gave us the Constitution, was hanged; Benazir Bhutto was martyred; Asif Ali Zardari spent 15 years in jail; Khan Abdul Wali Khan bore the burden of martyrs and imprisonment; and Nawaz Sharif too suffered ordeals. But all of them held on to the Constitution and strengthened democracy.”
Senator Irfan Siddiqui stressed that the army is Pakistan’s own, composed of the nation’s sons, who continued to lay down their lives for the country.
Condemning sectarian killings in Balochistan, he noted that civilians were targeted after their ID cards were checked. “Yet no one in Punjab spoke against Baloch or blamed them. Punjabis and all Pakistanis know these were not the acts of ordinary Baloch,” he said.
He further reminded that both houses of parliament represented the entire federation and that no legislation could be passed regarding any province without the approval of its representatives.
Reaffirming his commitment to democracy, Siddiqui said: “We all struggled against dictatorship in the past, and if—God forbid—it happens again, we will resist it together, but only through democratic means.”
Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and former Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said that the PPP supported the government in order to ensure the continuity of the Constitution and democratic system.
Bokhari said had the PPP not taken the crucial decision, there would have been neither the current system nor parliament. “When no party had a majority and no one was willing to form a government, the PPP stepped forward in the national interest to safeguard democracy,” he added.
The PPP leader stressed that those acting as proxies of India and carrying out terrorism in Pakistan could not be engaged in dialogue. “Dialogue must take place within the framework of the 1973 Constitution. Talking about a new social contract means deviation from that Constitution,” he remarked.
Bokhari underlined that the 1973 Constitution enjoyed consensus, and any amendments should only be made within its framework. “If dialogue is to be held, it should be conducted in parliament, which is the true representative of the people,” he maintained.
He pointed out that sacrifices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were not limited to the Pashtun people alone. “Our security forces, police personnel and political workers have all laid down their lives,” he said.
Reiterating his stance, Bukhari said: “There can be no dialogue with those who commit terrorism in Pakistan as agents of India. But within the 1973 framework, dialogue in Parliament is possible. The issue of terrorism and law and order is the central problem, and there must be consensus on it.”
Awami National Party (ANP) chief and host of the All Parties Conference (APC), Aimal Wali Khan, said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar had been invited to the meeting and had assured his participation, though he did not attend. He added that leaders of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party were also invited.
Aimal Wali Khan said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing numerous hardships leaving their resources wasted and citizens neglected while other provinces continue to progress,.
He noted that many families in Waziristan had been unable to return to their homes for years. “Our province is suffering while development elsewhere continues,” he remarked.
Speaking at an All Parties Conference, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing one of the worst floods in its history, which had claimed many precious lives and caused widespread devastation. Sherpao noted that in recent incidents in the province, nearly a thousand people had lost their lives. He stressed that dialogue on critical issues should be held with the government rather than directly with the establishment.
“Direct talks with the establishment would mean bypassing parliament,” he warned, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to convene a meeting on the matter and invite representatives of the establishment as well.
Former lawmaker Mohsin Dawar called for drafting a new Constitution on the basis of equality, while also leveling serious allegations against the establishment. His remarks sparked debate among the participants.
Responding to such proposals, former Senate chairman and PPP Parliamentarians Secretary General Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said Pakistan’s current Constitution took 25 years to be framed and enjoyed national consensus. He stressed that instead of demanding a new social contract, political forces should bring necessary amendments within the framework of the 1973 Constitution.
The APC demanded full implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment in its true spirit and called for an end to ongoing military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. The APC voiced deep concern over the ongoing unrest, terrorism and denial of constitutional rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, holding flawed past internal and external policies responsible for the current crisis.
ANP’s APC declaration stated that the participants condemned terrorism, extremism and violence in all forms, demanding an immediate halt to ongoing military operations in the provinces.
They also called for the establishment of a truth commission under judicial oversight to investigate human and financial losses caused by these operations.
The declaration stressed full implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, enforcement of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, restoration of provinces’ rights over mineral resources, cancellation of illegal land allotments and protection of the historic rights of tribal people.
Other demands included restructuring the Levies Force in Balochistan on modern lines, transferring full authority to the civil administration in merged districts, ending enforced disappearances and releasing political prisoners.
The APC also called for lifting curbs on independent media and journalism, repealing discriminatory laws such as the 3-MPO and the Fourth Schedule, rehabilitating terrorism-affected areas, ensuring the return of internally displaced persons, and creating employment opportunities.
It further condemned the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees and urged the revival of Balochistan’s only agricultural university for academic activities.
Expressing sorrow over the devastation caused by recent floods and natural disasters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the conference announced the cancellation of “Islamabad Peace March” earlier scheduled for August 23 under the National Peace Jirga, with a new date to be decided later through mutual consultation.
Reaffirming their commitment, the participants declared that Pakistan’s security, stability and development were only possible through the supremacy of the Constitution, equal rights for provinces and a transparent democratic process. All political forces vowed to continue their joint struggle toward these goals.