Daily Times

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has once again criticised the Azm-e-Istehkam Operation stating that military operations being conducted since 2010 have only led to instability.

Speaking in the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday, Fazl yet again condemned Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, stating, “We have been suffering under the guise of operations since 2010. This is not stability, we are doing this for China.” “People were forced to vacate their areas for these operations. Tribal women were sent to deserts, and many places in tribal areas were cleared, forcing people to beg. Their dignity and traditions were harmed,” he protested. Fazl highlighted the insufficient compensation provided to the displaced, saying, “Victims are given Rs400,000 to rebuild their homes. This amount is not enough to build even a bathroom. It’s a joke.”

The JUI-F chief maintained that instead of cash, the victims are given tokens. Fazl lashed out at the current government set-up, “The state has abandoned us. Do we not have any rights as citizens?”

Fazl further criticised the government’s policies, “The government is making people jobless. They are closing departments older than Pakistan itself.”

Commenting on the recent hike imposed on the salaried class in the recent budget, he stated, “Taxes are imposed on salaries and businesses, yet we demand taxes without providing rights. People will not pay taxes because they don’t trust you. They demand peace and prosperity.” He pointed out the contradictions in government actions, “25,000 to 30,000 Afghans returned to their country, but 40,000 to 50,000 came back to Pakistan. General Bajwa told me that a fence was erected to prevent terrorists from entering. Now, it’s being said that the fence has been removed.”

He emphasised the dire situation in many regions maintaining that people have reached the point of starvation in many areas of the country “People in Chaman have been protesting for nine months. Is this how a country treats its border populations? These people have no alternative employment. Mothers and sisters sold their jewellery, but even that money is gone. Now, they are forced to sell household items. Does the state realise this?”