Operation Azm-e-Istehkam rejected by tribal people: Fazl

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday said that tribespeople had rejected ‘Operation Azm-e-Istehkam’ and declared it an attempt to bring destruction to the region.

Talking to reporters after a Grand Tribal Jirga at his party headquarters here, the JUIF chief said the military operation was not on the agenda of tribal jirga as it had been convened before the announcement about the launching of the military operation. The Maulana said the previous military operations had brought miseries and destruction to the region. Those affected by the past military actions were yet to receive compensation.

The JUIF leader said he had opposed the merger of the tribal areas and had warned the government of its repercussions. “Time has proved that my stand was correct,” he said.

The JUIF chief questioned the resurgence of militants after the government fenced the border with Afghanistan spending billions of rupees. “From 20,000 to 30,000 people went across the border and they returned after gaining more strength,” the JUIF chief claimed while alluding to militants.

He said people were asking from the state as to why the law & order situation had deteriorated and the establishment had put the blame on Afghanistan. When the people asked the establishment about the rising terror acts, they were told that these subversive elements came from Afghanistan. He asked the army to ensure border protection and avoid blaming Afghanistan for terror.

“I had visited Afghanistan and returned with a commitment from there. There was an understanding to offer a peaceful path to the armed group,” he recalled without elaborating on his statement. He said relations with Iran were brought to normalcy within a week after an unfortunate incident but ties had remained strained with Afghanistan for a very long time. “The people of both countries want good relations,” he added.

The JUIF chief said Pakistan will have to put in place a mechanism. “A peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan. But there are efforts to dash the hopes of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he deplored. Afghanistan has been going through turmoil for the last 45 years. “Why is Afghanistan not allowed to stabilise? It seems a foreign agenda is being furthered,” he said.

He said the continuation of the wrong policies from military ruler Pervez Musharraf era was responsible for the present mess in the country.

The Maulana expressed concern over the lawlessness in various parts of the province. “Armed people establish checkpoints on roads after sunset as their strength has increased in comparison to the past. The police restrict their movement after sunset in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added.

“We are not taking decisions as a responsible state. Our decisions reflect a reactionary nature,” he said. A knee-jerk reaction had become a norm in decision-making. He expressed a lack of trust in the incumbent government and said the establishment should have no role in the election process, adding the people’s mandate must be respected.

The JUIF chief renewed the demand for fresh elections in the country. “I want elections without any interference from the establishment,” he asserted.