ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday condemned the arrest of Imran Khan’s sisters and said that the united opposition in the parliament was ready to hold talks with the government on issues concerning political prisoners, the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and the creation of new provinces, provided the government showed its willingness.

Addressing at a press conference here at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the party’s Central General Council, Fazl expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, especially increasing terrorist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, saying that the country was in a state of siege. He said that the country has yet to resolve the past problems while the ruling elite was crafting new problems like the creation of new provinces and introduction of a presidential system.

Fazl said that, owing to the worst state of law and order, the work on all the mega projects was at a standstill and investors were not ready to start new projects in the country. The country was facing a serious security situation, and some elements were making a huge hue and cry in the name of creating new provinces. Without naming anybody, he said that a particular person with no political position, and who is a core part of the government, is working as a servant of another institution. This individual is calling the shots on creating new provinces and threatening the political parties.

The JUI-F chief said that some elements have totally ignored the fact that the house is on fire, and they keep raising issues of the provinces or the already settled National Finance Commission (NFC) issue, adding that these issues should be brought before Parliament instead of being discussed on TV screens and seminars. He further slammed the government and said that it has kept a complete mum over these matters, but one of its members speaks everywhere.

“He should stick to washing the clothes and dishes of his master he serves.”

He said that his party will not remain silent against such “overstepping behavior.”

He said that the JUI Central General Council held detailed discussions on the internal and external situation, and all the party members expressed concerns over the state of law and order.

The security situation is such that the party had to shift the meeting scheduled in Karachi to Peshawar, saying that JUI Balochistan General Council members declined to travel to Karachi due to road closures.

“The governments practically do not exist in two provinces,” he added.

Recently, one of our senators, Abdul Shakoor Khan, was offloaded at the airport to prevent him from traveling to China, adding that in KP province, ministers are being pulled out of their vehicles.

The JUI-F chief said that powerful institutions are currently running the government and these institutions are not bound by any constitution or law. He said that the country’s debt burden has surpassed even that of the previous government. He said that there has been an astounding increase in inflation, and common people cannot find a place even to cry over the increasing prices of edible items.

He said that the government does not care about the people. He said that multiple protests have been announced by various political parties, and the farmers are set to come to Islamabad for a protest, while the government, instead of listening to the people, has filled Islamabad with containers, and the people are being forced to become rebels.

He slammed the government for not resolving the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), saying that the government made promises but didn’t implement. Just as Khawarij claim only themselves to be true Muslims, the powerful consider only themselves to be powerful. No one should challenge anyone else’s authority, Maulana said.

He said that at present the police, army, and state institutions have retreated to a defensive position in some parts of the country, which is alarming. Questioning the fate of the Iran–US negotiations, he said that the government must call an in-camera session of parliament to inform where the country stands, saying that an in-camera session of parliamentary leaders alone is insufficient.

He said that now Saudi Arabia has also come under attack, saying that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye have signed a defence agreement which is defensive in nature, while no action against the attackers has yet been taken by the parties over continued attacks.ABDUL RASHEED AZAD