Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif-led government and the country’s security establishment, criticizing their handling of the problem of extremism in Afghanistan, a News18 report said.
At the event, Fazlur Rehman questioned Pakistan’s strategic approach over the past 78 years, especially its policy towards Afghanistan. He questioned why the country had never reflected on how its Afghan strategy had “failed so miserably”, highlighting the contradiction that while trade from Afghanistan is almost completely blocked, militant infiltration continues unabated, the report said.
“Not even a single pomegranate or watermelon can enter Pakistan, yet terrorists are still crossing the border,” he said, as reported by News18.
As reported by NDTV, Fazlur Rehman added: “The authorities say terrorists are coming from there. If they are coming, stop them. If they are coming, kill them. The Afghan government has never objected to your actions.”
Note: Mint could not independently verify the authenticity of the video or when it was posted.
Fazlur Rehman also strongly criticized the government’s handling of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was once projected as a transformative project for Pakistan’s economy, saying the Shehbaz Sharif-led government had failed to restore Chinese confidence or attract new investment.
“CPEC has not seen any real progress during this tenure because China no longer trusts us,” he said, as reported by News18.
Attack on a mosque in Islamabad
In Friday’s attack, a gunman opened fire at the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital before detonating a bomb, killing 32 people and himself and injuring more than 170 others.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said the attack showed that Pakistani militants operating from Afghanistan were capable of hitting the capital, prompting a strong response from Afghanistan’s Taliban government, AP reported.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s defense ministry condemned the attack on a mosque in Islamabad, but accused Pakistan’s defense minister of “irresponsible” engagement with Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that Afghanistan, where the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, harbors militants, including members of the Pakistani Taliban, which Kabul denies, the AP reported.
(With input from agencies)
