Rulers Have Admitted Their Failure and Proven Themselves Incompetent, Says Fazlur Rehman

SAHIWAL: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Pakistan chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that repeated tampering with the 1973 Constitution is aggravating the country’s problems, adding that Pakistan could move towards prosperity if the provinces were granted complete powers under the 18th Amendment.

Speaking to various delegations at the residence of Qari Masood Tariq, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that ignoring unemployment and the deteriorating condition of the people while focusing solely on the struggle for political powers would lead to further economic destruction.

He said the JUI’s manifesto was aimed at protecting the lives and property of the people and improving society. “There is no greater protector of human rights than Islam,” he said.

The JUI chief urged the rulers to abide by the Constitution they had sworn to uphold, saying that questions were increasingly being raised about democracy in the country.

He alleged that those conspiring to withdraw the law related to the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were “agents of the Jews,” while holding the bureaucracy, feudal system and politicians responsible for the country’s economic destruction.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the rulers had themselves acknowledged the country’s deteriorating situation, which, he claimed, proved that they were no longer fit to govern.

He said two provinces were suffering from terrorism, making it difficult for ordinary people to leave their homes at night. He also alleged that jobs were being given in exchange for bribes and that the country had been made economically dependent on the rest of the world.

Regarding the issue of creating new provinces, he said he understood the matter from within and questioned why those who had previously supported the creation of new provinces were now reacting strongly to the issue.

He warned the rulers to first put the country’s affairs in order, stressing that mineral resources belonged to the provinces and that this right must be recognized.

“If the rights of the provinces are accepted, there will be no need to repeatedly steal elections,” he said.

Several JUI leaders and workers, including Qari Muhammad Abu Bakr, Hafiz Tariq Masood, Maulana Muhammad Amjad Khan, Maulana Zia-ul-Haq Chaudhry, Qari Tahir Rashidi, Qari Hanif Usmani, Waqas Razzaq Mujahid, Muhammad Naveed and Hafiz Naseer Ahrar, were also present.

Later, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Maulana Ata-ul-Haq Darvesh, Senator Engineer Zia-ur-Rehman and Maulana Muhammad Amjad Khan visited the residence of the late Abdul Razzaq Mujahid, a founding JUI worker, in Gulshan Ali Colony. They expressed condolences to his family over the death of his wife and prayed for the departed soul.