Daily Times

Sir: Most of the statements by the politicians about a military operation against the terrorists are made to save their own skins. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s statements have been overly appeasing towards the Taliban. Similarly Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s demand that the government immediately announces a ceasefire and gives the tribal jirga a chance to negotiate is an exercise to shelter his own clan. Indeed one should agree with the Maulana, announce a ceasefire and let the criminals, the militants and the terrorists continue killing our soldiers and the civilian population. Such mullahs are playing on both sides. They fear that if they turn against their clan that would be the end of their story. And if they choose to support their elimination, the funding they receive in the name of religion and jihad would stop. It is this double-game of mullahs-turned-politicians that has been the root cause of all that inflicts this country. The Taliban attacked Maulana Samiul Haq’s followers in Karachi when he was approached to mediate peace talks. Any such attempt by Fazlur Rehman would have met the same fate. Therefore with only one statement, he succeeded in diverting the wrath of the evil towards Nawaz’s government.

Hamza Ali

Dera Ismail Khan