National Security Used as a Spectacle for 78 Years; Real Decisions Made Elsewhere”: Hafiz Hamdullah

**Quetta (Qudrat Daily):**
Senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader, Maulana Hafiz Hamdullah, criticized Pakistan’s governance system, stating that for the past 78 years, national security has been used as a pretext while the real decision-making power lies elsewhere.

Addressing the annual Dastaar-e-Fazilat Conference at Jamia and Madrasa Muhammadi Darul Uloom Zakariya in Quetta, he said that regardless of who comes to power, the claim is always made that “national security is in their hands,” but the same statement is repeated when they are removed. “This cycle has continued for decades, causing serious harm to the nation,” he added.

Hamdullah described the system as “hybrid,” where the apparent rulers are not the ones making actual decisions. He used a metaphor, saying, “The one beating the drum is someone else, and the one dancing is someone else—the court is adorned, and courtiers are dancing.”

He emphasized that the real owners of the country are its 250 million citizens and urged that the supremacy of the parliament, elected by the people, must be restored for true national security. Without the rule of law, democracy, and parliamentary authority, he warned, the country cannot ensure national security or progress.