Fazlur Rehman Clarifies: “We Are Not Enemies of the Army, Nor Do We Support Resistance Against State Institutions”

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that his party is neither hostile toward the Pakistan Army nor does it endorse resistance against state institutions.

Speaking to journalists in Dera Ismail Khan, Fazlur Rehman said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is facing not only a governance crisis but also a situation where “the very existence of government has become meaningless.” He added that while the government has abandoned citizens to their fate, his party cannot leave the people alone.

Highlighting the sacrifices made by the people of the region, he said that from Bajaur to South Waziristan, hundreds of thousands were displaced in pursuit of peace, while many families from Peshawar to Karachi endured hardships to cooperate with security institutions. Despite these sacrifices, he lamented, lasting peace has yet to be achieved in the province.

The JUI-F leader said the state has failed to protect the lives, property, and dignity of its citizens, despite having the full capacity to do so. “This approach is not in the country’s interest, nor in the army’s own interest,” he added.

Fazlur Rehman emphasized that his party only criticizes the military’s political role and policies that directly affect citizens and politicians. “We want the people to respect and love the defense institutions. We are all indispensable to one another. If society, political parties, and the constitutional system are weakened, the army too will weaken. And if defense collapses, the country, its people, politicians, and political system will all suffer,” he stated.