Sometime bitter pills have to be swallowed, says Fazl

Military courts

MULTAN: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said on Friday his party had accepted the extension to military courts as sometimes bitter pills have to be swallowed in peculiar circumstances.

Talking to reporters at Madrassa Qasimul Aloom, he said that the notion of military operations and courts as a solution to combat terrorism was debatable.He said that he, in principle, opposed the military courts. He said a big question was there whether the National Action Plan (NAP) had achieved success in combating terrorism or it needed to be expanded to the whole country.

To a query if the military operation was the only solution to handle terrorism, he said this was debatable, adding that the JUI-F had accepted extension to military courts with serious reservations.

He stressed the need for developing national consensus on the issue. About Indian involvement in promoting terrorism in Pakistan, he observed that India had same complaints against Pakistan, saying there should be a mechanism between the two countries to address complaints of same nature.

The JUI-F chief urged Afghanistan to initiate dialogue with Pakistan on border security issues and involvement in terror acts in Pakistan. He said CIA and Blackwater networks were working in Pakistan. "The US agencies have created a crisis in Pakistan", he added.  He called for preventing US intervention in Pakistan.

Fazl said the country was passing through a crucial phase and things should be tackled through fruitful talks. He avoided a query on the PanamaLeaks issue, saying the media should avoid trailing judiciary.