Fazl sees deep governance crisis in KP

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing a deep governance crisis and those expected to pull the province out of quagmire were themselves grappling with crises.

Talking to reporters in his native town, he said that there was practically no governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where lawlessness and corruption were at their peak. “The state is responsible for the worsening conditions in Swat and Bajaur. Despite multiple operations in Swat, Waziristan, and Bajaur, where people were forced to abandon their homes, the state has failed to restore lasting peace,” he went on to add.

He said that the militants have grown so strong that they are directly challenging state institutions. “The state is not using its full capacity; instead, it is weakening the people,” Fazlur Rehman asserted, vowing that the JUIF would continue its struggle for the supremacy of Islam and resolution of public issues. To a question, Fazlur Rehman said it was unfortunate that ordinary citizens were now openly speaking against the establishment. “The establishment is responsible for the current crisis. The present government is not representative of the people. Confrontation is not our desire, but keeping the public informed is our responsibility,” he remarked.

The JUIF chief said that his party was holding public gatherings to create awareness among the people about the current fragile situation. The JIUF chief, however, made it clear that the political gatherings scheduled in Mardan and Dir were cancelled due to floods. He announced that on October 16, the party would hold the “Mufakkir-e-Islam Mufti Mahmood Conference” in Dera Ismail Khan to highlight the prevailing national situation. “The JUIF will not abandon the people in these testing times,” he assured.