Division of Sindh or Creation of New Provinces Unacceptable, People United on Issue: Maulana Fazlur Rehman
JACOBABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that any proposal to divide Sindh or create new provinces is unacceptable, asserting that the people of Sindh are united on the issue.
According to a press release issued by JUI-Sindh Press Secretary Dr. A.G. Ansari, Fazlur Rehman said the party would continue raising its voice for the protection of people’s rights and the constitutional authority of the provinces.
He said justice could not be expected from a system of governance based on oppression, adding that Pakistan was currently facing political, economic and law-and-order crises. He said flawed government policies had further aggravated the country’s problems.
Fazlur Rehman said Pakistan needed to assess where the rest of the world had reached in terms of economic development and where the country stood today.
He said the state’s responsibility was to create awareness among citizens and empower them, but unfortunately, people’s voices were being restricted instead of being given greater political authority.
The JUI-F chief said debates on governance should focus on policies, the Constitution and institutions rather than individuals.
He called for recognition of the rights of provinces to resources, natural wealth and revenues guaranteed under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Referring to the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Fazlur Rehman said problems in the region remained unresolved despite decisions taken in the past, adding that JUI-F had expressed its reservations at the time as well.
He said it was inappropriate to label a political party or individual as a traitor merely because they opposed them. He added that JUI-F did not accept any political benefit obtained through the establishment and wanted justice and constitutional supremacy instead.
“Defending the country is essential, but coercion and unconstitutional measures are unacceptable under any circumstances,” he said.
Fazlur Rehman stressed the need to politically strengthen and educate the public, while calling for collective efforts to eliminate militancy and extremism.
He said JUI-F would continue its principled political stance and its struggle for the establishment of a system based on justice.
