Pak-Afghan skirmishes : JI calls for immediate halt to ongoing tension

PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday called for an immediate halt to the ongoing tension at the border with Afghanistan, urging both sides to demonstrate restraint and settle the issue through meaningful dialogue.

In his address to the Gaza March here, JI Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman offered his party’s role in facilitating comprehensive talks between the two countries by bringing all stakeholders, including religious leaders and diplomatic circles, together to resolve the issue.

“It doesn’t suit Pakistan to attack Afghanistan. Simultaneously, the Afghan soil should not be used by terrorists for their activities against Pakistan. Both sides should think seriously over the matter. They should revisit their policies and reach an amicable solution to the issue,” Hafiz Naeem said.

He said that the people of both countries had brotherly ties and had lived together for the past 40 to 45 years. “No problem exists between the people of the two countries. If there is any problem, it pertains to the policies, which should be revisited and rectified,” he stressed.

“The governments of both countries should resolve their issues through talks and develop cordial ties,” he suggested.

Hafiz Naeemur Rahman was of the opinion that it was not the time for two Muslim countries to fight each other. Such a situation, he warned, would appease their enemies. “It is high time for them to join hands and fight for the just causes of Kashmir and Palestine,” he said.

He asked the Afghan government to demonstrate seriousness. “India could never be a friend of theirs. India is infested with anti-Muslim imperialist thinking. It cannot tolerate the unity and prosperity of Muslims. Let me tell the Afghan Taliban that India will always stab you as well as Pakistan in the back. If you (Afghan Taliban) lose power at any stage, India will celebrate it. Therefore, beware of India’s cunning nature and stop relying on it,” he said.

Hafiz Naeem further urged the Afghan government to support Pakistan in its drive against terrorism and to stop the use of its

soil by terrorists against Pakistan.

About Palestine, the JI chief welcomed the ceasefire and the return of the people of Gaza to their homes. “The bravery and determination of the people of Gaza are exemplary. They are returning to their hometowns which have been reduced to rubble,” Hafiz Naeem said.

He announced that once the rebuilding process was started in Gaza, the people of Pakistan would contribute a due share. Alkhidmat Foundation will lead the rebuilding process from Pakistan and for the purpose $1 billion would be collected and spent. In order to collect the amount everyone including the government, industrialists and every citizen of the country would be approached, he said.

He said that the brave Palestinians and Hamas had exposed the US and Israel and their nefarious designs. “It was the plan of US President Trump to have Gaza occupied and redeveloped on a new model. It was Trump who provided weapons worth $21 billion to Israel after coming into power,” he said.

He criticized the Muslim rulers for their weak role during the Gaza episode. “Had the Muslim rulers demonstrated unity and given a strong message to Israel and the US, the ceasefire would have been reached two years back,” he said.

He said that Hamas had actually secured a great victory on October 27, 2023, but the Muslim rulers failed to reap the fruit of Hamas’s success.

The JI chief warned against any bid to recognize Israel. He said that Pakistani leaders, since Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, have rejected recognition of Israel. He recalled Liaquat Ali Khan’s visit to the US, where he was offered great incentives in return for recognizing Israel, but he rejected all those offers, saying: “Gentleman! Our souls are not for sale.”

Hafiz Naeemur Rahman said that no one would be allowed to even think about recognizing Israel. He said that relations should be maintained with the US, China, Russia, and others in a dignified manner without compromising the sovereignty and dignity of the country.

He said that the problem with both the ruling and opposition parties in Pakistan was that they tried to outdo each other in flattering President Trump. “But the nation will hold them accountable. The people will ask them why they were not condemning the US and Israel when children were being massacred,” he said.

He said that all political parties in the country were junior partners of the establishment, which ruled the country directly for 35 years and through these partners for the remaining period. He stressed the need for changing the system in the country. For this purpose a mass awareness movement was required, he added.

He invited all the people to the three-day mass congregation (Ijtima-e-Aam) of the JI scheduled to be held in Lahore on November 21, 22 and 23, which would prove the starting point of change in the country.

Attended by a large number of people, the demonstration was also addressed by JI Central Deputy Chief Maulana Ataur Rahman, KP (Central) President Abdul Wasi, Vice President Maulana Mohammad Ismail, General Secretary Sabir Hussain Awan, District President Bahrullah Khan, KP (North) General Secretary Mohammad Haleem Bacha, and others.

Abdul Wasi also stressed the need for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan through meaningful dialogue. He urged the Afghan government to address the concerns of Pakistani authorities. He said that the Afghan Taliban should know that India can never be their friend and must differentiate between friends and foes.

He also expressed serious concern over the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.