Fazlur Rehman asks how long nation will be ‘blackmailed’ in name of terrorism

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has called for a national-level consultation to tackle terrorism and restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 24NewsHD TV reported on Tuesday.

While talking to opposition leaders at his residence in Islamabad, he said ordinary people wanted peace and protection of their lives and questioned the results of past military operations in the province.

Fazlur Rehman said people had been forced to leave their areas and were now living a life of displacement within their own province.

He also alleged that deputy commissioners were closing roads against the wishes of the provincial government, creating further difficulties for the residents.

The JUI-F chief said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were fully aware of the security situation in their areas and questioned how long the nation would continue to be “blackmailed” in the name of terrorism and military operations.

He stressed that the government should hold consultations at the national level to develop a comprehensive strategy for eliminating terrorism and restoring lasting peace in the province.

He said political parties had a democratic right to hold long marches and the government should not create hurdles in the way of PTI’s planned protest.

“We have also held long marches; it is everyone’s democratic right,” Fazlur Rehman said.

He said the government should not obstruct PTI’s long march if the party had announced that its protest would remain peaceful.

“When political parties say they will remain peaceful, we should trust them,” the JUI-F chief added.