- Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised Pakistan's Afghan policy for failing to stop extremists crossing the border
- He condemned Pak's foreign policy for causing isolation and mistrust with India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China
- He stated China no longer trusts Pakistan, causing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project to stall
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised the Shehbaz-Sharif-led Pakistani government's handling of the Afghanistan extremist issue and questioned how their Afghan policy "failed so miserably".
Speaking at a gathering in Rawalpindi on Sunday, Rehman highlighted the contradiction where trade from Afghanistan is blocked but extremists keep coming through.
"In all these decades, we never paused to ask why our Afghan policy failed so miserably. Not a single pomegranate or melon can enter Pakistan, yet terrorists keep crossing the border," he smiled.
He then added, "Authorities say terrorists are coming from there. If they are coming, stop them. If they are coming, eliminate them. The Afghan government has never objected to your actions."
Rehman Slams Pakistan's Foreign Policy
Rehman also criticised Islamabad's foreign and economic policies and described them as "complete failures".
The JUI-F leader said that the policies are so unsuccessful that "India is our enemy, Afghanistan is our enemy, and even Iran and China are upset with us." He said that the people of Pakistan deserve answers and asserted that "a nation cannot survive when its policies produce only isolation, mistrust and insecurity."
Rehman also argued that the country's foreign policy is not shaped by the civilian government but through the military establishment. "One general comes and says we will negotiate; another comes and says we will wage war," he said.
"China No Longer Trusts Us"
He also slammed the government's management of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which aimed to boost Pakistan's economy. The project has been stalled due to eroding Chinese confidence. "CPEC has seen no real progress during this tenure because China no longer trusts us," Rehman said.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif listening to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng during their meeting in 2023
Photo Credit: AFP
He noted that when the CPEC project stalled during former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's tenure, both China and Islamabad had complaints; however, he questioned if the current government has been any different. "Today I ask, has even a single brick moved forward under this government?" he said.
According to Rehman, China had expected the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government to stabilise bilateral relations and improve project execution. "Instead, today China is displeased with Pakistan," he claimed.
Afghanistan On Islamabad Suicide Attack
Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defence has rejected Pakistan's allegations regarding the attack at a mosque in Islamabad, terming them "irresponsible and baseless" and urging Pakistani officials to take responsibility for their internal security shortcomings, local media reported.
Afghanistan's statement comes after Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in a post on X, mentioned that preliminary findings indicate that the attacker had been on the move to and from Afghanistan.
In the statement, the Afghan National Defence Ministry said that Asif "immediately and irresponsibly" blamed Afghanistan for the attack without carrying out proper investigations. Afghanistan authorities stated that this pattern was witnessed in the past as well, especially regarding incidents in Balochistan and other security incidents in Pakistan, Afghanistan's Ariana News reported.
As many as 69 people were killed in the suicide bombing that took place in Islamabad on Friday, local media reported, citing hospital officials. The attack took place at Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra in the Tarlai area on the city's outskirts during Friday prayers, Pakistani daily Dawn reported. More than 170 people were injured in the attack.
