No political stability in Pakistan: Fazl

KARACHI: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said there was no political stability in the country.

Speaking to the business community in Karachi, the JUI-F chief said the outside world was not willing to do business with Pakistan. “Friendly countries are concerned about Pakistan’s economy and worried about how to save Pakistan,” he added.

“Neither Pakistan’s Constitution, parliament nor its institutions are secure. Law and order situation in the country is deteriorating and each institution is interfering in the affairs of others,” he said.

He said the institutions should operate within their respective boundaries, adding that the solution to problems lies in adhering to the Constitution. He said that his party needed transparent elections in the country.

Fazl expressed his pleasure that the business community was interested in modern technology, saying that the goal of the business community was to increase the country’s exports.Peace and a strong economy are the foundation of national development.”

He said that protection of human rights provides a conducive environment for economic prosperity. “Unfortunately, we are drifting away from prosperity. Peaceful citizens feel insecure. There are armed groups and street crime is prevalent. The country is in a state of unrest,” he said.

The JUI-F chief reiterated his stance that there was no political stability in the country, and the rest of the world was not ready for business with Pakistan. “We want to see parliament, judiciary and military becoming stronger. Each institution is weakening because we are not adhering to the Constitution. The Constitution is the social contract that holds the country together. If we do not comply with the Constitution, instability will persist.”

He said changes occur over time, but they should not be driven by political or personal interests. He said that it was the state’s responsibility to catch criminals, adding that when the state fails to perform its duties, incidents of crimes increase manifold.

He further said if the law is not followed, people start making their own decisions. “An establishment’s assembly comes into existence as a result of election fraud. There should be fair elections. People in Balochistan do not have representatives,” he said.

“We want the supremacy of Constitution. Changes come with time, and you should bring them, but in a good way, not for your own interests. We are aware of the issues being faced by the youth. The permanent solution to the problem is that elections must be transparent,” he said.

The Maulana added that if the judiciary was undermined and attempts were made to strip away people’s fundamental rights, it would not be good for the country.