JUI-F chief calls for unity

TAKHT BHAI: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday urged the political leaders to exhibit unity as the country was facing internal and external challenges.
Speaking at an Ulema Conference at Gujjar Ghari here, the Maulana said that external forces were hatching conspiracies to pit political parties against each other to create uncertainty in the country.
JUI-F Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Maulana Gul Naseeb, general secretary Maulana Shujaul Mulk, Mardan chapter chief Maulana Muhammad Qasim and others were also present on the occasion.  
It would not be possible to hold general election in 2018 if there was uncertainty in the country, he added.He hoped that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) would be revived before the next general elections.
The JUI-F would continue to play its role in thwarting any attempt to enact a law against the basic principles of Islam in and outside the Parliament House, the Maulana added.Criticising the proposal of paying salaries to prayer leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was trying to ‘bribe’ the prayer leaders. “It’s a political ‘bribe.’ Don’t accept this salary,” he urged the prayer leaders.
He said the future of the tribal areas should be decided as per the aspirations of tribespeople. The JUI-F was first to take up the issue of amendment in the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat law on the floor of the National Assembly and got restored the law in its original form.
He also urged the participants and other religious scholars to discourage sectarianism and work for the unity among people of various schools of thought.  The JUI-F chief also asked government to conduct referendum on the future of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) for its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “We are not against merger of Fata with KP but we want the people of the area should be taken into confidence on the issue,” he urged.
“If the United Kingdom, Turkey and other countries can hold referendum on such type of issues, why the government of Pakistan cannot do so on the future of Fata,” he added. JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Gul Naseeb and other leaders also spoke on the occasion.