While welcoming verdicts against politicians… Why so much reaction over Musharraf conviction: Fazl

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) head Maulana Fazlur Rahman said on Saturday that the establishment was seen backing the court verdict against a political leader of the stature of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but all limits were crossed to oppose the judiciary when the court gave a judgement against a former general.

We can’t afford to make institutions controversial. The reaction to the special court decision is not correct,” he told a news conference.

On the occasion, Haji Sifatullah Khan and his influential family announced joining the JUI-F after quitting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that Pervez Musharraf was a retired general and was currently heading a registered political party. He has nothing to do with the institution, he pointed out.

He was of the opinion that when the political leaders accepted the court decisions, the retired generals should also do so. He said that only one institution in the country considered itself most patriotic and this was not correct.

He maintained that the current assembly cannot be given the right to make legislation about the most sensitive matter pertaining to the extension. Even if any legislation is made to this effect, it would be controversial. What is needed the most right now is holding of fresh elections in a fair and transparent manner without any intervention, he stressed.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman also demanded judicial inquiry into the December 2014 tragedy of Army Public School, Peshawar so that actual facts could be known and right actions could be taken. He said that five years had passed since the biggest tragedy in Peshawar in which 147 precious lives, mostly flower-like students had been mercilessly butchered, but no action could be taken to trace and punish the actual perpetrators.

“It is ridiculous that instead of constituting an inquiry into the tragedy, a so-called national action plan was announced, which proved futile. The country needs an economic plan more than action plan,” he added.

He expressed serious concern over the prevailing economic crisis. “The country is passing through the worst economic crisis. There is no possibility of economic stability in the country in the next two years,” he opined.

He pointed out that certain circles were busy in implementing the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) law across the country. About the government’s reported plans for mainstreaming the religious seminaries, the Maulana said: “We exist within national boundaries. You talk of yourself as where do you stand.”

He said the country belonged to the people of Pakistan and foreign rulers would not be allowed to hold important offices. “A British citizen has been made governor of an important province while another has been made an advisor to the prime minister. Several others have been assigned top government positions,” he pointed out.

He also condemned the Kashmir policy of the PTI government. He said the entire policy on Kashmir was confined to a mere speech in the UN General Assembly.

“We are worried about curfew imposed by India in Kashmir, but are silent over the same in the erstwhile tribal areas,” he maintained. He said the government had neglected the people of the merged tribal areas.

The Maulana said the government had claimed that it gave funds amounting to Rs100 billion annually to the merged districts, but not a single penny could be released to the former tribal areas since the merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.